Barns and Mats

Recently, I came across a time-lapse video of 1700 photos of an Amish barn raising.  You can probably find it on You Tube.  Set to some "barn raising music" and about 3 minutes in length, the photos show a rather large barn and adjacent livestock shed being constructed in a matter of one day.  You can tell it begins with an early morning sun and ends near dusk.  There's even a substantial tell lunch break where there is little activity.

Despite, the foundation and some of the structure being completed beforehand, the entire structure went up in the span of a day's light.  Pretty impressive.   My initial reaction was " I wonder how long it would have taken for the individual farmer to do it on his own or even hire it out to a construction company."  And how long would it take me?  Based upon my own experience of various house projects, probably an eternity.

In reflecting a little deeper, I began to see it more than just a barn raising, but a raising of a community.  I pictured the older generation working side by side to pass on their experience and wisdom in "barn raising" to a younger generation.  I pictured mistakes being made, problems being solved and even conflict arising.  Some workers were there primarily for  their natural strength while others provided their intellectual prowess.  And that lunch break, I'm sure the food was delicious as others used their hands to prepare the meal.  Finally, I pictured a grand celebration as the entire community came together to celebrate for their neighbor as well as what they were able to accomplish together.  What a great picture of community!

Last Sunday, Pastor Mike shared the story of the four men who brought their paralyzed friend on a mat to Jesus.  Upon arriving to the house where Jesus was speaking, they discovered that it was so crowded, there would be no way in.  While it would have been easy to say, "we tried", the men weren't going to be denied. They took their friend up to the roof, dug a hole in the roof and lowered him before Jesus.  These four friends were able to do something for their friend that he would never be able to do on his own.  And his says that Jesus, seeing the faith of those friends, healed the man, both spiritually and physically.   What a great picture of community!

I wonder what our lives would be like if we learned to live in community like that.  Where we look  for opportunities to carry the mats of our friends, or allow our friends to carry ours.  Where we seek to "raise barns" or raise our children in the presence of others.  Where older generations, worked right alongside the younger generations to pass on experience and wisdom.  And where we celebrate what happens when we come together rather "celebratizing" the accomplishments of individuals.

Last week, Holy Cross began another season of confirmation for our 7th and 8th graders.  We also began a new experiment in community called Parent Confirmation.  As a group of teenagers gather to explore life, faith and experience community, our desire is that parents will also gather to do the same.  I picture that older generation working together to pass on their experience and wisdom to a younger generation.  Mistakes will be talked about, problems will be solved and conflicts will arise.  Yet, we will do so much more together than we can on our own.  And we're not raising a barn, but the teenagers God has entrusted to us (though sometimes we wonder if they were born in said barn).

If you are a parent of a confirmation student, please join us downstairs in fellowship hall.  If you are a person looking for community, begin to look for mats to carry or barns to raise.

Scott McDonald, Dir. of Adult Discipleship & Outreach