I feel that most of us would agree, we have a beautiful building that we worship in. Our church facility is a wonderful base of operation for the people of the Mitchell Community who call Downtown Mitchell First United Methodist Church their church home. Part of the beauty and intention of the architecture of a structure, such as what we worship in, is to draw our eyes upward – as in drawing our eyes heavenward toward God. Yes, our facility does just that, at least for me. It draws my eyes, and my thoughts upward.
As beautiful and meaningful as our facility is to our church family, the unspoken little secret is that it takes regular maintenance to keep the structure in sound usable status. Something that not many people would think about is the mortar, the cement-like substance that is placed between the bricks that is the glue, so to speak, that holds them all together. Over time the mortar can develop cracks, which can allow moisture to seep in between the bricks, and then that can cause the cracks to get bigger and become longer, which over time can then threaten the stability of a wall.
It has been several decades since the last tuckpointing, or mortar repair, was done. Dan and the Trustees have been aware of some cracks in the mortar. However, this past Spring when we had the stained-glass workers here at our facility, they used their lift to get up to the windows they were working on, and in doing so they discovered a number of cracks that couldn’t easily be seen from the ground.
This is not work that has to be done immediately, but it is also work that cannot be ignored and put off indefinitely. In fact, the Trustees are gathering bids now so the work can be done within the next couple years. However, this is not a cheap project so we’re going to start raising funds now.
So, to help begin to raise these needed funds, I’m riding the Tour de Corn as a fundraiser for the Tuckpointing project. The Tour de Corn will be held this year on August 20. I am planning on doing the 62-mile ride. I am seeking pledges for either per mile, or simply for the ride. All the money raised will go into a fund to pay for the tuckpointing project. There will be a signup sheet in the gathering area, or you can talk to me (Pastor Keith) or call Johanna in the church office.
A final word I want to lift up is that our facility isn’t just about bricks and mortar. We are really about doing spiritual work. So, the question I am asking myself, and maybe a good question for all of us, is that of, “What is the condition of the mortar of my spiritual house?” Personally, I believe our faith is the mortar that holds the bricks of our spiritual house together. But over time, and especially with the stress of the past two years, it is likely that cracks have developed in the mortar of our faith, a least I know there have been some cracks that have developed in my faith house. But just like the mortar of our church facility, the cracks in our faith aren’t a significant problem unless they are ignored.
So, this year as I pedal my way around the Tour de Corn Route, and as I pedal in training for the event. I’m going to be asking God, “Where are the cracks in the mortar of my faith that need to be attended to?” This is important work for all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus. Here in this house, we are working toward re-cementing our connection with God, our neighbors, and even with ourselves. This is truly important and life-giving work. Join me in this cause for our facility…and for the strength of our combined faith!
Serving Together,
Pastor Keith