Dear Friends,
On May 1, Sunday afternoon, we were driving home and suddenly heard a siren from behind us. I want to assure you that it wasn’t a police car chasing me for speeding. A fire truck was behind us. I moved my car quickly to the side and waited for the fire truck to pass. Once it passed, I started driving again. I somehow kept following the fire truck. It turned right, and I turned right. It turned left; I turned left. I had this funny feeling, “It is coming to our apartment?”
Unfortunately, it was going to our apartment building. When I got to the apartment building, there were three fire trucks, two police cars, and one ambulance. There was no fire, at least no major one people could observe. I am not sure what brought so many fire trucks that day, although I heard different rumors on why they were there that day (someone’s kitchen caught fire, or someone threw cigarette butts to a flower bed.)
Although we could not get into the apartment for another 30 minutes, meeting neighbors from the apartment building was great. I never met so many neighbors from the apartment until that day. It is hard to meet the same person again in the apartment.
I have been wondering ever since that day if there is a fire alarm (I mean a false fire alarm) that could bring everyone in our community out so that we could greet each other. Is there a way we could invite people back to the church? Then, I found that fire alarm that could bring everyone
out during the last weekend. A YARD SALE.
Everyone had a yard/garage sale during the last weekend in Guildwood. Our church, too, held a yard sale. People won’t show up to church if we say to people, “Come and worship with us,” but people will show up if we tell them, “Come and buy our junk.”
So, what do we do when we want to meet people in our community? Hold a yard sale. What do we do when we want to bring people out in our community? Hold a yard sale. I must admit that it was a lot of work. I was so busy talking to people, and I did not have enough time to write a 20-minute sermon. I will stay away from any yard sales for a few weeks.
Nonetheless, it was fun.
Our special thanks to Sandra Robertson, Bonnie Horton, Al and Sue Harris, and all who helped in organizing, donating, sorting, pricing, packing, selling, buying, delivering, setting up, and cleaning up! And to those who smiled and had fun!
—Rev. Chuck Moon
A version of this message first appeared in the Friday, June 3, 2022, edition of Tidbits.