From the Congregational Church of Eastford
Jesus gets a bad rap these days. It’s not all that surprising why. His message and purpose can be hard to discern because so many in our day and age hijack His name and teachings for their own purposes rather than His. What this means is that it’s very likely what you’ve heard about Jesus in popular media is a distorted version of Him. Though there are an endless number of misrepresentations of Jesus out there, I’d like to dispel one of them for you.
Our church, the Congregational Church of Eastford, has just hosted a couple of town events in July — our annual Frog Jump/Cake Walk, and our 8th Sports Camp at the school. I’d like to share with you why we do these and the heart behind them. We as a church community seek to be like Jesus, to follow in His example and do the things He did and said. And one of the things Jesus did a lot, if you read the gospel accounts in the Bible, is eat and drink with people just like you all. If you were looking for Jesus back when He walked the earth, chances are you’d likely find Him reclining at a table with the locals.
Jesus hung out with people who knew Him, and people who didn’t know Him from Adam. He spent time with the healthy and the sick, the powerful and the weak, the respected and the outcasts, the old and the young (He repeatedly exhorted His followers to be more like children). Most shocking of all, Jesus spent a lot of time with those who had been marked as the sinners of His day — prostitutes and tax collectors. Even in His own day, Jesus had a bad rap. In fact, when the religious leaders noticed how much Jesus whooped it up with these “sinners,” they called Him out and asked Him why.
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’”
This is not how I hear people talk about Jesus on the internet and in the news. More often than not, I hear Jesus’ name used to shoo away certain people, to shame and guilt those whom our society deems “sinners.” However, this is not the picture the Bible paints of Jesus. In fact, if you read the gospels, the only people Jesus seems to be troubled by are those who think they are righteous, powerful, and better than everyone else because of their own goodness.
All that to say, as our church seeks to be a community like Jesus, we want you to know we’re here. We’re here to eat and drink with you. We’re here for you when you’re feeling weak or in need or lost or broken. And if you join us for a Sunday morning in any of these states, you’ll be in good company. We are a community in need of a doctor ourselves, and we can tell you all about Him. You’re welcome any Sunday. We currently meet each Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Eastford Elementary School, and will let you all know when we’re in our new building! We’d love to have you.