Can we create a church without walls? A church that knows no boundaries for its ministries? Where do we start?These questions plague the church of today. With stories of famines and wars and people oppressed by dictators and lords, how do we respond to the needs of the world? Can we, as a small church in Luverne, Minnesota, reach out and touch the lives of all people?Paul, in his letter to the Romans, in Chapter 14:13, states that we should never be stumbling blocks in the path of our brothers. This means that as an influencing nation of the world, we must be very careful to not build walls between us and other nations. I think of the tireless work of missionaries and their quest to spread the Word of God to all peoples. Only a few are chosen or called to do this evangelism. But we all are called to serve God.So, let’s all be a church without walls. That does not mean we all need to be missionaries in foreign lands or put our lives at risk as martyrs of the Word of God, but rather to step outside the doors of our church or our homes and love our neighbors. We must not be hemmed in by the boundaries of our fears and ignorance and must reach our hands out to all people. See the teen on Main Street? Say hello. See the mother with three kids try to shop in the grocery store. Smile at her and offer to help. See the walker slowly enter the crosswalk. Stop and smile as they make their way across the street. Don’t make others feel less because you can do more. Love the unlovable. Join a civic group in town and make a difference in Luverne. Take the walls down from your church and go out and do the tasks needed to share God’s Word to all of God’s people.And, lastly, expect no reward on earth. Trust in God’s Grace to sustain you. Is it possible, a Church without walls? I believe so.
