Watertowers and the Church

This weekend Beth and I made a suicide trip from Kentucky to her home in NY state to celebrate her dad's 50th birthday, meet her brother's fiancee and her sister's new boyfriend. It's been somewhat of a whirlwind, long weekend...BUT...I was struck as we were driving up I-75 by the number of watertowers in Kentucky. They're everywhere...all along the road, you see watertowers, big and small, with the municipalities named scrawled across the tower. Some are simple, saying things like "Jessamine County North," while others attempt to be flashy watertowers, saying things like "Florence Y'all!" Being a Northeasterner, watertowers are not a part of the landscape that I'm used to, but I'm always struck by the importance they play in their respective communities. They show where a community is located, and I always know that I'm almost home when I see the Jessamine County tower. They provide life-giving resources to a community. They're really important, but if you didn't know what they are, you'd never know what you're dealing with. More than that, though, they often become part of the landscape, blending into the countryside without even a notice. But, what do they have to do with the church?
I believe that our churches need to be more like watertowers. I believe that our churches need to be the symbol of a community, directing people and showing people the way home. I believe that our churches need to be careful to be places that gush with the life-giving Gospel. Too often I think our churches become stagnant, holding onto the power we possess, unwilling to share it with those who are outside our community. We bring people in, but we never send them back out to provide resources to the community. Too often, though, we simply stand as a part of the community landscape, doing nothing to show people that we actually have something to offer. We need to be watertowers that stand out, marking our community and offering water to those are thirsty for the things of God.