Better Together - For the One

If you ever go on vacation to Massachusetts and find yourself on Nantucket Island, there is a museum there that centers on the efforts of an organization that is centuries old. Two hundred years ago, travel by sea was very dangerous and—given storms in the Atlantic and the rocky coast of Massachusetts—a lot of lives were lost just a mile or so away from the coast. So a group of volunteers went into the life-saving business. They banded together to form what was then called “The Humane Society.” They built little huts of refuge that dotted the coast all along Nantucket. They had people watching the sea all the time. Whenever a ship would go down, the word would go out, and they would drop everything and give themselves to saving every life they could. They did it for no money, no recognition, but just because they believed deeply in the value of human life. They would risk everything they had, including their lives, to save people they had never met. After a while the U.S. Coast Guard was started, and it began to slowly take over the task. For a while, the Coast Guard and the Lifesaving Society worked side by side. But eventually the idea that carried the day was: “Let the professionals do it. They’re better trained. They get paid for it.” The volunteers stopped manning the little huts, stopped searching the coastline for sinking ships, and stopped sending out teams to rescue drowning victims. However, the Lifesaving Society still meets to this day. They have a banquet every so often in the city of Boston. They hand out some awards for stuff. They enjoy each other’s company and have a good time. They still exist. They’re just not in the lifesaving business anymore. Sadly, this can also become true of churches. It doesn’t happen in a day or a month or a year, but over time a church can forget it’s in the Life Saving Business. They may still get together every week. People are in relationships with one another and enjoy being together. They will host services and maybe even run a few programs, but they aren’t looking out at the coast anymore. Instead, they are only looking out for themselves. Well SCC must never become that kind of church, and this is why the value below demands a closer look: For The One We believe that hope and healing are for everyone. This means we’ll intentionally pursue those far from God, sharing with them what he’s done in our lives.