This post is part of a three-part series drawn from Pastor Adam Anderson’s recent sermon wrapping up our Sermon Madness series. In that message, he reflected on the three words at the heart of who we are as a church: sincere, supportive, and inclusive.
Once you open up honestly, the next question is: will you actually like what you see? Will you carry one another when it’s heavy, when it’s complicated, when it would be easier to step away? That’s where being supportive comes in.
I’ve seen it again and again here. Jessica and I both said we could have spent hours telling stories of how you’ve carried each other and carried us. But one Sunday stands out.
I wasn’t even here that day—I was headed out on vacation, celebrating Lindsey’s 40th birthday with a cruise. And during worship, people started to notice that one of our most faithful members was missing from her usual spot. She was the kind of person always early, always present, always dependable. But that day she wasn’t there.
People started asking: has anyone seen her? Has anyone heard from her? And during worship itself, several of you were on your phones—not distracted, but using your nursing and caregiving skills to try to track her down and make sure she was okay. It turned out she had fallen. After the service, some of you were out on the sidewalk, coaching her family through what needed to be done. Later that same day, someone went to her house to double-check that everything was covered.
And the most beautiful part? None of it required the clergy. You just knew what to do. Someone turned to Jessica and said: “That’s the kingdom of God right there.”
They were right.
And it didn’t stop with that one moment. Care for one person grew into care for many. We found new connections with senior centers and caregiving organizations. We revived our senior adult ministry. We began to seek the city’s shalom in new ways, right here and now.
That’s what support looks like. It isn’t shallow thoughts and prayers. It isn’t distant sentimentality. It’s showing up, dropping everything, and carrying one another because it is joy to do so.
Support shows up when the need is obvious, but also when the need is hidden. And this church has again and again chosen to walk with one another in both kinds of moments. That is the kingdom of God in real time.