Won't You Be My Neighbor?
“It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor, Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor? –Mr. Rogers
Anyone who grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood can hear the tune in their heads as their mind replays Mr. Rogers walking into his home and changing into his sweater and tennis shoes. While singing into the camera, he was preparing himself to go out into his neighborhood and learn the names and stories of those around him.
Last year at Christ the King we launched The Traveling Table, an initiative where we, like Mr. Rogers, went into our neighborhood to meet our neighbors, learn their names, and hear their stories. Several teams of people from Christ the King shared meals monthly with our neighbors to the north and south of 1201 Silber Road.
During these Traveling Table meals, I realized how scary and intimidating, yet rewarding and life-changing it is to live out Matthew 22:39: “to love your neighbor as yourself.” As I watched my sons seamlessly speak the language of soccer with the neighborhood children, my daughter welcome everyone as she handed out pizza, and the many others on our team laugh, talk, eat, and listen to our neighbor’s joys, struggles, worries, and fears, God reminded me why we worship a triune God. We were made to live in community.
As we continue The Traveling Table ministry this fall we encourage you to grab some friends and SIGN UP TODAY to be on a team this year. We need YOU to join us as we learn what it means to live out the Greatest Commandment. As Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon state in their book, The Art of Neighboring, “By becoming good neighbors, we become who we’re supposed to be. As a result, our communities become the places that God intended them to be.”
Mr. Rogers would end his opening song with “Won't you please, won't you please? Please, won't you be my neighbor?” God calls us to love (agapao - an action verb) because he first loved us. It is out of that love that we can, through faith, go out into our neighborhood and love those around us. What an awesome opportunity to share the incredible gospel message of a God who desires us to be in community with each other and, most importantly, with Him!
Anyone who grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood can hear the tune in their heads as their mind replays Mr. Rogers walking into his home and changing into his sweater and tennis shoes. While singing into the camera, he was preparing himself to go out into his neighborhood and learn the names and stories of those around him.
Last year at Christ the King we launched The Traveling Table, an initiative where we, like Mr. Rogers, went into our neighborhood to meet our neighbors, learn their names, and hear their stories. Several teams of people from Christ the King shared meals monthly with our neighbors to the north and south of 1201 Silber Road.
During these Traveling Table meals, I realized how scary and intimidating, yet rewarding and life-changing it is to live out Matthew 22:39: “to love your neighbor as yourself.” As I watched my sons seamlessly speak the language of soccer with the neighborhood children, my daughter welcome everyone as she handed out pizza, and the many others on our team laugh, talk, eat, and listen to our neighbor’s joys, struggles, worries, and fears, God reminded me why we worship a triune God. We were made to live in community.
As we continue The Traveling Table ministry this fall we encourage you to grab some friends and SIGN UP TODAY to be on a team this year. We need YOU to join us as we learn what it means to live out the Greatest Commandment. As Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon state in their book, The Art of Neighboring, “By becoming good neighbors, we become who we’re supposed to be. As a result, our communities become the places that God intended them to be.”
Mr. Rogers would end his opening song with “Won't you please, won't you please? Please, won't you be my neighbor?” God calls us to love (agapao - an action verb) because he first loved us. It is out of that love that we can, through faith, go out into our neighborhood and love those around us. What an awesome opportunity to share the incredible gospel message of a God who desires us to be in community with each other and, most importantly, with Him!
Kim Dolibois
MISSION & MERCY COORDINATOR
MISSION & MERCY COORDINATOR
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