Small town blues

Not to steal the song title from John Mellancamp (actually, I think he was still John "Couger" Mellancamp at the time), but I was born in a small town. Well, really, I was not. I was born in a small city. But, most of my formative years, from about 6 to 18, were in a small town.

Living in a small town is a whole different beast and, in many ways, better than living in a city. Yes, I know, in the city you have a much better selection of restaurants, groceries, entertainment and transportation. But, it seems a little colder and a little more impersonal.

For instance, when I was growing up, if there was an auto accident, everyone in town would go check it out. "What if someone I know is in it?" "What if they need my help somehow?"

In the city, if there is an car crash, everyone is just mad that the traffic is going so slow. "Hey, move those bodies off the road." "I have to get to work." "Next time, try wrecking that thing somewhere else, would ya?"

In some ways, a good Church is like a small town. In a good Church, if someone has a crash in life, people will run over and see if they can help out. Everyone knows that, like a small town, a good Church is good for the kids. Like a good Church, a small town knows that kids are not the future, because they are probably going to move on to some other place, but they value and care for them anyway. A small town and a good Church help people to find their place in the world.

A small town is also concerned with getting new people to move in. They do their level best to welcome new people that come and help them fit into the life of the community. Small towns even go out of their way to invite people to come to their town. They really want some new blood to spice the place up a bit.

Notice that I didn't compare the small town to a small Church. Most Churches, even the mega churches, are still smaller than a decent sized small town. I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with small churches. Some small churches are great. Some of them.

On the other hand, I have seen small Churches that are a bit more like a big family at Thanksgiving. They are all pretty dang comfortable with the people that are already there and don't really want other people coming around to mess it up unless it was pre-approved by everyone that is gonna be there. And heaven forbid they get together with each other outside of that particular day.

*** Disclaimer: A small town is no replacement for a good Church. I think that even people in a small town should join a Church. But it is a good analogy, so there.