Privacy Settings

Frivolity, joys, blessings, gripes, rants, brags – we share all of these on facebook, twitter, in texts, and perhaps even in person. What these say about us pales in comparison to what the things we don’t share say.

In this world of sharing our lives publicly through social media updates, we often leave out the deepest parts of our lives. Nothing that may damage our image or suggest our weaknesses or needs is divulged. Even amongst friends, we are very private people.

This hit home as I sat in church while visiting my husband’s family in Pennsylvania. We were attending worship at Snake Spring Valley Church of the Brethren where we were greeted as we entered the church and then greeted by nearly everyone we passed on the way to our seats.

 Worship opened with the invitation to make announcements. Activities from Vacation Bible School to the Ice Cream Social, to a trip to a ball game were promoted. Updates were given on sick and dying members of the congregation. Thanks were given for help with household tasks and meals delivered during illnesses. Prayers were requested for health, travel, emotional issues, and transitions. A new baby was welcomed.

It was only after this sharing that worship continued. I’d say began, but worship began with the first word of thanks, with the first announcement of an opportunity to come together as a community, with the first request for prayer.

This coming together in support is a current that runs through worship and into fellowship hour afterwards. People continue to share with each other, offer help, find out how family members are doing, and set up times to meet, plan, and help. It seeps into daily life and flows into the next gathering for worship. Nothing is held back. There is no embarrassment about one’s circumstances or need for assistance. Helping and supporting one another is not seen as a job or a duty or even the right thing to do - it’s seen merely as the right way to live.