"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
- James 1:27 KJV
Tonight, I was given the pleasure of singing for a young adult service at GoodNaz called 702. I've participated in leading worship there before, and although it's not my home church, I greatly enjoy working with my friend Greg (who is the worship leader for 702) and chatting with Pastor Daryl (the lead pastor at GoodNaz).
This particular evening was different than the typical 702 service. Instead of a few songs and a message, we had a few songs, read a scripture passage, and then went out to visit a widow.
Yep. A widow.
My first thought was how unusual this was as a way to spend a young adult service.
My second thought was how awesome this was as a way to spend a young adult service.
So, we all drove in a little caravan to visit Shirley, a 75-year-old congregant at GoodNaz who recently lost her husband of 57 years. As we sat in her living room, asking questions about losing her husband and about their relationship that had lasted for so long, I was overwhelmed by how meaningful this action was.
How often do we actually take the time to care for the widows and orphans?
Pastor Daryl asked us as we sat there why we thought widows and orphans were singled out in the Word as those for whom we should care, and why this particular action was considered "pure religion."
At that point, it occurred to me that it was quite possible the reason for this is that, by definition, widows and orphans don't have the support structure surrounding them that the rest of us may. Yes, we may have parents that drive us crazy or a husband that forgets things like it's his job (and I say that with a smile, don't worry), but there is still a support around us. But Shirley said the hardest parts of losing her husband were just missing him in general, and then having to be alone so much.
How difficult would it be for me to connect with some older widows in my church, and offer to come around once in a while to read to them? To do their dishes? To reminisce? To gain wisdom? To fix their computer?
One thing is for sure - the verse in James 1 is rather clear. There's not much to misconstrue or twist to fit an agenda. It's just simple - take care of the widows and orphans, and don't be defiled by the world.
It seems to me that the two go hand in hand - taking care of those who need it goes directly against the selfish lifestyles that many of us (yes, even those who call ourselves Christians) tend to lead, in our flesh.
It means nothing if we just sit around talking about it. Let's take some action.
I think that this day in age helping single mothers could fall into the category of "pure religion" as well. They may not be widowed per se, and they may not be orphaned exactly, but they do sense that abandonment and lonliness... on top of having to care for their child(ren). Most of the time single mothers give and give and give, but are never poured into. It's a sad circumstance of the society in which we live, but it's reality. So many people are hurting... some too prideful to ever show it.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! Thank you for this comment. You're totally correct, and I never want to forget that they seem to fit into this category as well. Single moms are heroes in their own right.
DeleteMy favorite thing about the church working the way it should is that we don't have to wait for people to show us their hurt or need, but that we provide just because we want to know and know we should.
Again, thank you!
This was my Mother that you all visited last night. You have now idea how much you blessed her. She has done very well since the passing of my Dad, but missses him terribly. Her long time next door neighbor had just passed away about 30 minutes prior to your visit. He was at home under hospice care. She had called me to tell me of his passing and I could tell she was really down. This had brought my Dad's passing all back to the surface and reopened that wound. Your visit was and encouragement that meant the world to her. She called after you all had left and I could really tell a difference in her voice. What a blessing. Had to be a God thing. Soooo thankful for a Pastor with such a compasionate heart. GoodNaz is BLESSED!
ReplyDeleteIt was such a pleasure! I'm glad I got to be a part of blessing her, and I'm so pleased to know that God timed it just exactly when she needed it. And Pastor Daryl is super awesome! :)
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