Won’t You Be My Neighbor

Blog Post by Rev. Kathleen Henrion
Interim Pastor at John Calvin Presbyterian Church, Bridgeton, MO
Member of Gathering Planning Team and Presbytery Technology Consultant

“Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?”

These words sung by legendary Presbyterian Pastor Fred Rogers at the beginning of each episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood welcome us into a familiar, comfortable world of love, understanding, and community. Mister Rogers asks “Won’t you be my neighbor?” as an invitation, a desire for relationship and connection.

We’ve been thinking a lot about neighborliness here at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Bridgeton, MO (www.jcpchurch.org) as we just worshipped in our new building for the first time on July 24th.

In May of 2021, the congregation made the decision to sell the current building and downsize a bit in order to become mortgage free for the first time. Now, we find ourselves in a new neighborhood. One right by Room at the Inn (https://www.roomstl.org/),  Fine Line Studios (https://www.finelinestudios.org/), and Life Care Center of Bridgeton (https://lcca.com/locations/mo/bridgeton/). I look forward to seeing how John Calvin Presbyterian Church might be changed in the coming years through our relationships with our neighbors.

Our scripture of course has a story of what it is to be a neighbor. Often called the story of the Good Samaritan, it could also be called, the Story of the Good Neighbor, or How to Accept Help from People You are Taught to Distrust.

True neighborliness looks a lot less like proper landscaping in order to keep the peace and a lot more like showing up when things are difficult. My prayer as we are in a new neighborhood is that we would find ways to show up for our neighbors. That we wouldn’t just be a church that holds worship in this new building, but worship God through our care and our compassion for all of our neighbors.

My challenge to you, the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, is to seek out opportunities to be neighbors to those in need of neighbors, so we all might grow a little closer to experiencing God’s kindom on earth at it is in heaven.

“Please won’t you be my neighbor?”

Rev. Kathleen Henrion
Interim Pastor at John Calvin Presbyterian Church, Bridgeton, MO
Member of Gathering Planning Team and Presbytery Technology Consultant