More blogs »Posted on Jul 3 2013

It is now July, and Anglican Church of the Resurrection, Brewster, changes its schedule for the months of July and August. We add a beach service, pictures of which you can see elsewhere on our website, at Breakwater Beach in Brewster. This little, much less formal service begins at 7:30 in the morning, and lasts for about 30 minutes. Since it only takes us about an hour to prepare our Eucharistic Service at the Brewster Council on Aging, and since many of our members and guests would like to go out after church and enjoy the sights and activities of Cape Cod, we move the Eucharistic Service from 10:00 AM to 9:00 AM for the months of July and August. To get to Breakwater Beach, take Breakwater Road north off of Route 6A, and the parking lot to the beach will be on your right.

Don’t worry if you’re dressed for the beach, shorts and a tee shirt perhaps, we’d love to have you stop by. I’ll be wearing that, and sandals, under my robe (and later at the Eucharistic service). I really enjoy the natural beauty of the beach and the many visitors we get. This service is based on the Morning Prayer of the Daily Office in our Book of Common Prayer, and includes a couple of hymns as well as a short (really short) sermon. It all comes together to be an informal gathering where we begin the day in God’s beauty lifting up our hearts to Him, friends and visitors alike, starting our day the right way.

In a very real way, it is how evangelism should be done. We are out in public acting out our faith, and encouraging people to join us. I particularly appreciate how someone who perhaps doesn’t know the Lord can be drawn by curiosity and edge up close enough to hear what’s going on while still being able to leave without drawing attention to themselves (and thus getting embarrassed). I want to do more services like that outside, I think folks are often uncomfortable entering a church building (assuming they saw something that attracted them to do so) because it’s a commitment. If they get inside, they tend to be noticed, and it’s not so easy to withdraw if they don’t like it (or so they think).

Of course, evangelism requires more. First, when out in public, would anyone know we are Christians at all? And if they did, would we be a good reflections of Christ? How well do we behave when things go poorly (getting bad service, having a bad day, getting a bad surprise)? Better, do we know the people around us well enough for them to confide their trials with us, and do we know the Bible well enough to share some of its wisdom? Better still, do we love them like Christ would love them, and can they tell?

So it’s back to the beach July and August. Wonderful setting, casual clothing, a nice short service open to visitors, and we don’t take an offering. What’s not to like? Then again, if you’re like me you don’t really feel like you’ve worshipped unless you’ve shared the Lord’s Supper. True, we don’t do that at the beach, but just an hour later at the Brewster Council on Aging you can share Holy Communion with us (if you’re a baptized believer in Jesus). In fact, you can join us wearing the same thing you did at the beach, I’ll be wearing the same thing I did at the beach too! We’d be happy to have you join us.