From the Mouths of Babes (and Six-Year-Olds)

Six-year-olds are absolutely amazing. Children in general are absolutely amazing.

We go through this ritual every Saturday before we leave for worship service at church. As we're getting our coats on, my son (six years old) will almost always ask "Do we have to sit through a service?". You see, my family worships on Saturday nights because of work schedules, but I normally try to get the kids back to church on Sunday morning for Sunday School. I like to go to Sunday School. So do they. But for a six-year-old it makes things confusing. He never knows for sure if we're going for worship service, (which he's required to sit through now that he's in school) or if we're going for Sunday School.

I remember when I was six and I had to sit through a service. Granted, in the Methodist church the service is only an hour long, but that's an eternity when there's a living room full of new stuff from Christmas waiting back home. But it seems my son has found signs to look for in church. He's apparently noticed things about the sanctuary when you walk in that tell you that today's service is different.

At our church, we celebrate communion the first weekend of each month. And when you walk into the sanctuary, you can see all the elements on the altar, wrapped and covered in clean, white linens. My son, who recently received communion for the first time, now recognizes those items. Tonight, shortly after the service began, my wife leaned over to me and said "Cameron asked me when we walked in if we were having community tonight". We both giggled a little, then we refocused on the opening music. I sat there for a while thinking about that, though. He doesn't know what the word community means. It's doubtful that he could use it in a sentence. He's heard us talk about communion before. What an interesting accident that was.

The word communion has its own Webster's entry, and its definition is not limited to the ceremony we practice at church. But I rarely use it for any other reason. Even more rarely do I hear it used by others for another reason. It seems it has lost its identity as anything but the bread and the cup for me. But to substitute community instead of communion really draws my attention. How incredible is it that together, as the body of Christ, we celebrate God's offering to us, His Son. And wherever you go, it's in groups large and small, together, that this celebration is held. My son, without knowing, taught me tonight that the gift of the bread and the cup is given to me as part of a community, not just as an individual.

So let's celebrate community together. Let's see if we can find hope in that same loaf and cup on the altar that tells my son that this is truly something different.

Peace and Blessings,

Mike

Not My Plan

It's been interesting lately to listen to people's reactions to current job and economic conditions. Many of the people I see regularly know that I'm a Christian and that I'm comfortable with God being in control of my life. Maybe that's why suddenly it seems that everyone wants to talk about God's plan. They want my opinion on God's plan for my life, as well as what I think God has planned for their life. But when I start to talk about how I think that God's plan for his people is something to be discovered in a relationship with Him, not decided over the break table, the response is usually the same: "I just wish He'd show me what I'm supposed to do about a job" or "I hope His plan includes health benefits".

I'll admit, I've wondered lately what's in store for me, too. But I keep coming back to the same thought - God's plan for my life can't possibly revolve around my job. My life has been pretty easy. In fact, I'd say it's been really easy. The biggest loss I've had to bear is my father dying when I was 37 and I wasn't ready for him to be gone. I can only describe my life until now as protected. I feel that I have been routed around all the things that could have (and in some cases should have) gone terribly wrong. As I walk with Christ my Savior, I just know that there is a fantastic purpose for my existence. And I can say with reasonable certainty that it's not so that I can simply work at my job. There will be a type of perfection that will surround something that I do in my lifetime, because it will be exactly what God wants me to do.

If you're unsure about what God's plan might be for you, I'd suggest a heartfelt prayer. God hears the prayers of His people, but be advised He's not the genie in the lamp. He doesn't grant wishes. If you pray for something specific to happen in your life, you'll need to be patient and know that even though you're sure it's in your best interest, it might not be something God deems necessary for you right now. I've started praying that He would simply prepare me for what He'll need me to do, empower me to make decisions that honor Him, and equip me and strengthen me to fend off all the things satan will send at me to distract me.