Skylines & Silhouettes | Worcester, MA + Portland, OR

Worcester, Massachusetts

Skylines and Silhouettes is a continuing series with Emmaus City Church. If you would like to read previous entries, click on the links below.

Skylines and Silhouettes Part 1 | Worcester, MA and East Fort Worth, TX

WORCESTER WANTS WHAT PORTLAND'S GOT 

What might happen in Worcester if followers of Jesus in the city began to adopt and serve the people and organizations that were in the city council's primary areas of focus and need? What if followers of Jesus began to voice humble words like:

"We're desperate enough...unless over time we can change how we are perceived we can never make progress for the gospel."

"We realize we have not built relationships with our city leaders. We know we're known for what we're against, not what we are for. We'd like to change that. We know that will take some trust on your (ex. the mayor's office's) part."

"If we could mobilize thousands of Jesus followers in our city, what could we do? We're not here to agitate or complain. You guys are the experts. You know more about how to meet the needs on the ground."

"We'd like to do something in partnership with the city. Can we do this together?"

What do you think we would hear from leaders in Worcester? Would they be receptive or skeptical? And do they already have good reason to be the latter over the former?

But if we could get some time with them, what issues do you think they would talk with us about? Immigrant integration? Racism? Healthcare? The environment? Partnering with public schools? Foster care? Most likely, any one of these areas could be mentioned in our city.

But how would followers of Jesus in Worcester respond if we were challenged to partner with our city's leaders? Would we be willing to listen to them? Would we be ready to act? Could our city begin to change if this kind of partnership became tangible? Could this become more than a small splash, and instead be a steady stream of obedience to Jesus and service to our neighbors with no end date in sight?

Don't believe it could happen? Well, this kind of thing is happening in Portland, Oregon.

Portland, Oregon

How can the church and the city work together for the benefit of people?

In the video Portland Case Study: Kevin Palau and Sam Adams filmed in New York City by Redeemer City to City, Palau, President of the Luis Palau Association, and Adams, former mayor of Portland, discuss the partnership that's developed between churches and schools in their city over the last 6+ years. They share how they have worked and continue to work together for the common good of Portland despite religious and political differences. 

More than likely, the needs in Worcester are similar to the needs in Portland. Our city size is not the same, but that doesn't mean there aren't a multitude of projects and requests (with fewer resources) that are knocking on our mayor's door.

But is the church waiting for someone to come to us? Or are we ready and willing to go to them? The Luis Palau Association describes a gospel movement in a city as:

The integration of local churches and cultural leaders exercising their faith and influence in every sector of society for the transformation of the city.

Do we want to see a gospel movement like this happen in Worcester? Are we praying for the church first to be changed from the inside out so we can be empowered by God's grace to move to action? Do we even realize that we need to be restored to a verbal and visual display of the gospel before we expect others in our city, and its organizations, to be redeemed? 

And are we willing to serve, rather than be served, in faithfulness, trusting that in embodying the grace, mercy, and compassion of our God, we will not only become more hungry and thirsty for Jesus' righteousness to fill us, but we will begin to gladly let it overflow to others who may then begin to see our good works for the city and start giving glory to our God?

I can tell you this. I would love to hear a Worcester school superintendent one day say, "We need to have a church partner for every school in our city." Because that's not something individuals, or the church, or school superintendents could ultimately get credit for. Only God could do something like that in Worcester. 

If you would like to read about what Massachusetts and Arizona could share in common, read Skylines and Silhouettes Part 3 | Worcester, MA and Phoenix, AZ.

– Sully

If your curiosity is piqued, or something inside you is being stirred, feel free to connect.