First Baptist Church of Herndon

Face Time

Linda Soller | Aug 10, 2015

This may sound strange, but one of the highlights of my recent summer vacation was my ability to “Face Time” with my eighteen month old granddaughter, Molly. Each day at 6:30 p.m. her mom would call me so I could say hello and see that precious little face. Molly would start out very interested in the person she saw on the phone, but would soon turn to showing me her toys and books. It was as close to being there as we could manage, and it made a huge difference to me. The prior summer I didn’t have the proper tools to “Face Time” and I really missed seeing her.

For those of you who don’t know about “Face Time” it is a video chat application developed by APPLE. You can call or email, if you have it, and see and hear the person you called, assuming they have it. Warning, it does not make your appearance better than it really is. I know from experience. The first night I feared my granddaughter might be frightened by this crazy looking person on the phone. Trust me, I looked particularly bad. It didn’t seem to concern her at all which had me worried I might always look that bad! Regardless, I felt closer to her through our conversations. Our expressions and reactions were clear to see and therefore more accurately interpreted. We both looked sad when it was time to hang up, just ask her mom.

When I went to church the first Sunday upon my return it was so good to actually see the members of the congregation and the guests. I immediately reflected back to my calls with Molly. The church had certainly continued on as usual even though I was on vacation. I read the weekly newsletters and postings on Facebook, yet there was something missing. In the early years of the church the disciples emphasized the significance of believers coming together to worship. They spoke of support and caring for one another. They understood how “community” enhanced worship, and worship grew faith. The new church was for everyone. Congregations were taught to welcome people in, not limit access. God did not fear interaction and conversation. He encouraged people to gather in his name. He knew there would be differences of opinions, because humans will disagree. He also knew it would help us to see others who shared our faith. The church serves many purposes and comes in many styles and sizes. The one thing you are promised when you go to church, any church, is face time. Isn’t it time to show your face?

See you in church - Have a great week! :o)  Linda