Last Sunday was our annual church picnic at the park. And the confluence of over a year of Covid and the reality that the church has grown in the past several months created a really exciting, joyful time. A couple of times during the afternoon, I stepped back and looked over the park and just took it all in. I have a unique vantage point, having been one of 14 adults there the first time we met. And so it helps me to praise God all the more when I take in over 200 people at the park, eating, playing, talking, and generally enjoying the beautiful, sunny, summer weather together.
There were little kids getting their faces painted by Krystin Scholten. There were the Koerners running the snow cone machine. There was Scott Brooks fielding a line of people to compliment him on the smoked pork. There were the middle-aged guys trying to prove their dominance in corn hole. There were many people who sat on blankets or yard chairs in the shade and just got to know one another in conversation. And a decent herd of younger people demonstrated their youth, playing Spikeball and crushing the older people attempting play (like myself).
We are church that prays together. But we are also a church that plays together. And I believe and hope and pray that we will be a church that STAYS together. The church picnic is more to me than merely a meal at the park. After a year of Covid, I found it to be a VERY beneficial time of connection. I love ReCAST church. I love spending time together. The food was great. The games were fun. The conversations were uniting. And our God is over it all. A huge thanks to everyone who helped put it together, including my wife who organized it all behind the scenes and recruited many hands to make light work!
