One of the neat developments that is happening in my community of Fulton, MS is a renewed emphasis on the idea of community beautification. To that end, efforts are being considered on many fronts including a revamping of the downtown area. This week has seen the pouring of hundreds of feet of concrete forming a new sidewalk to provide easier access for all Fultonians. All this talk and emphasis on beautification got me thinking a little bit.
I am proud to say I grew up in a small town. I haven’t always felt proud about that fact but as I have grown older, I have come to appreciate the unique blessings of living in a small town. That is not to say that living in a small town doesn’t have its challenges but all in all, it is amazing how many times I find my mind drifting back to my hometown and reflecting on some impressionable event that happened half a century ago that still resonates in a 60+ year old man.
One such event has to do with the annual celebration of Easter. Easter was the time of year when something amazing took place in my hometown. All of the congregations in that community would come together twice in one week to celebrate some aspect of Holy Week. The first was the Community Good Friday service. It was hosted in a different Church building each year and the ministers from each of the congregations took a role in the service. Someone would preach, someone would lead singing, someone would pray, someone would read Scripture, etc. As a young boy I remember how weird it seemed to enter a strange building dedicated to the worship of God and notice the similarities and differences from my own house of worship. I remember seeing people from the community who I might buy an ice cream cone from any other time of the year sitting across the way and joining in this corporate worship time. I remember how the worship service was just enough different from my own congregation’s worship style to catch my attention but similar enough to make me feel comfortable. It was weird, but in a good way.
Next, on Sunday morning at the crack of dawn, we would make our way to the South Lake. There, folks from the various congregations again gathered to worship God. This time the focus of worship was the discovery of the resurrected Lord on the first day of the week. This service was outdoors, and the traditional trappings of worship had been replaced by the sights and sounds of nature. We sang, sometimes accompanied by a guitar, this was cutting edge back in those days, and again heard Scriptures, preaching and prayers. All of this was followed by a community breakfast!
Twice in one week we rubbed shoulders with Christians from other congregations where unity and love were the order of the day, and everybody seemed to get along. Those simple services in a small town have had a profound impact on my thinking in the years since I long ago moved away. Now that I find myself living in a small town again, I have noticed that Christians still get together for special services such as Good Friday or Maundy Thursday or even a sunrise Easter service. But what I have noticed is that something has changed from the simple days of my childhood. Today it seems that folks are doing these services as another opportunity for “their” folks to worship God while missing out on the “community” dimension of such services.
Meanwhile, back to beautifying Fulton. Imagine how beautiful, perhaps not from the normal metrics used to measure beauty but based on what so many Fultonians have been taught in their local congregations about unity and love. How transformative on so many levels would it be to see the ministers of the various congregations planning and conducting worship services where the entire community might come? How refreshing would it be to see all the attenders putting some of the trappings and familiarities of their local house of worship and even style of worship to the sake of corporately honoring King Jesus? It could never happen logistically in a big city, but it still could in a small town like Fulton. Now wouldn’t that be a worthy beautification project!
Wayne Wade says
Great blog! Thanks, Love our small town!
Tony Thornton says
Thanks!
Shanda says
I think that is a fantastic idea for our community.
Tony Thornton says
Thanks!
Samantha Wade says
I love the idea!! Great read!
Tony Thornton says
Thanks!
Brenda Ceprini says
I love this idea.
Tony Thornton says
Thanks!
Stephanie Phillips says
Love this!
Tony Thornton says
Thanks!
Tiffany Johnson says
What a phenomenal idea! I would love to see and be part of the efforts to make something so beautiful happen!
Tony Thornton says
Thanks!