In her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer talks about her parents. They were involved in their local community. Her mother served on the zoning board. Her father was a retired town supervisor. Over dinner one night, her father said, “Good communities don’t make themselves.”
He acknowledged what is true about every community. There are countless small tasks and instrumental leaders in every good community. The water is filtered, the roads are cleaned, the parks are maintained, and the senior citizen center is built. The list goes on!
Most of this work is invisible. We do not see it taking place. In every good community, including the church, there are countless small tasks and instrumental leaders. They are doing the work that never gets seen, but it is instrumental in creating a good community.
The Sunday School teacher prepares a lesson on Saturday. A reminder email is sent out. The committee meets for a discussion. Dinner is dropped off at someone’s house. A craft is prepared for the children. Pizza is ordered for an event. A note of encouragement is dropped in the mail. A church member learns a visitor’s name. Prayers are said for those who are hurting.
Good communities do not make themselves. They are created through small tasks and instrumental leaders. We benefit from pausing to give thanks for all of these efforts. Church members in official roles and unofficial roles create our good community! This community serves as a refuge for us. It holds us when we are weary. It calls us to what is good. It helps us raise our children and youth. It serves the college student. It feeds the hungry. It provides us with joy and hope.
We give thanks for our community at Auburn First Baptist! We make a commitment to fostering this good community because good communities do not make themselves.
– Tripp