Ten years ago I traveled to Romania and for the first time in my life I felt like an outsider. I was abruptly placed in the middle of a beautiful chaotic country where I did not understand the language, money or culture. In the midst of this confusion a Romanian kindly bought me an incredibly ridiculous looking hat. I wore it to be nice but I was not thrilled. My family received a huge kick out of me in this hat as we all took pictures that follow me to this day.

While reluctantly wearing this hat I arrived at a market place outside of Dracula’s castle and saw many people wearing hats like the one I was wearing. This hat made me no longer look like an outsider. Unlike here, it was very much in style in Romania. All of a sudden the hat didn’t seem so silly and it made sense in my current context. It helped me to fit in there whereas here it would do the opposite. This is just a silly example of how context matters.

I was excited to select the material “Dreaming the Church” (our Wednesday night adult Bible study material) because I think it is important to remember that when researching how to be church we must remember that some things that work in others areas may not work here. We are given the challenge and opportunity to be authentically First Baptist Church of Saint Simons Island. We must ask the questions, “What does God want to do uniquely through us using our gifts and abilities at this time and place?”

God may not talk to you at a well but at a water fountain. The important thing is that God is talking to you where you are here and now. Are we listening?