Take A Closer Look

On a clear evening, away from the city streetlights and glare, I witnessed a beautiful sight. Looking up into the evening sky I saw dozens of stars twinkling in the darkness. As my eyes adjusted to the light, those dozens became hundreds ... there were more stars than could be counted. Looking closely, I noticed that that the sky almost had more white than black. The beauty of the stars was dazzling.

This experience speaks to a simple but great truth about life: the closer you look the more you see. It is a principle that can be applied to the community of faith.

Take Morning Star, for example. At first glance one might see a building, and attractive building both inside and out. Looking more closely you’d notice that it is a gathering place for babies and toddlers daily in a PreSchool and Child Care Center and a place of worship on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. Keeping a close eye on things, you’d soon notice that there are a variety of meetings, gathering and programs for youngsters, youth and adults. And you would notice that it is a place where laughter and tears are shared.

A close look would reveal something else. Morning Star isn’t a perfect place. Depending on your point of view it’s too small or too large, too traditional or too modern, too demanding or filled with too many sinners. If fact, some people see so much imperfection it gets written off as a bad deal altogether.

Now look closer, much closer, maybe even magnifying glass close. Morning Star is a Christian community gathered in the name of Jesus Christ. It is the place where believers are most likely to encounter God in action. In good times, it is a place of celebration. In tougher times, it is a place of support and prayer. It tragic times, it is the only place that offers a message of true hope. The mission and ministry of Morning Star is founded on a commitment to offer something that everyone needs: a sense of God’s presence and power, forgiveness and love.

Certainly, the church has many critics. But on the other hand the Church of Jesus Christ has no rivals.

Take a closer look and you can see it for yourself.