Thursday Thoughts

It has been and will be a fun-but-busy month at church. 

For the past two-and-a-half weeks we have been living out our polity, our special church practices that go beyond simply meeting for worship.

Two Sundays ago, we had a baptism. A young man who has been coming to church since he was a hyper-active toddler. It's a privilege to see how God's worked in his heart. You may notice from the picture, we baptize in an unique way - three times forward. It makes it a little more awkward but it is our tradition and we make it work. After this particular event, I remember as I was changing my clothes in a separate room and hearing lots of "church chatter" in the pool room. There's few sweeter sounds than God's people celebrating steps of discipleship.

This past Sunday, we held Communion. The Brethren have long observed not just the traditional "Bread and Cup" but also serve each other in foot-washing and incorporating a Fellowship meal. All done to mirror the last supper Jesus had and to literally obey his words in John 13. 

Then last night we held our annual business meeting. Admittedly it's less worshipful than these previous events, but it doesn't have to be. We adopted a newer, more specific and accurate mission statement to serve as a general guide for what we want to be about as a church. I purposefully tried to connect that with the various reports that were given to show how God's worked through us this past year. 

This busy ministry month isn't over either. Regional Gatherings, leadership meetings, plus we have an annual Halloween Fun Fair we put on for Trick-or-Treaters. 

It would be unwise to pack every month full of activities like these. But it is a good boost as we finish out the fall to celebrate and serve in these various ways.

Music Mondays

"Is it bow season?"

That was the question I heard one of our members ask another yesterday at church as a group of us men were putting our socks and shoes on.

You probably regard that scenario as strange for a number of reasons. 

I find it fitting.

Yesterday was World Communion Sunday and our denomination celebrates communion with a three-piece observance - the Love Feast, Communion, Foot-Washing. We sit around round tables of 6-8 people and have a carry-in dinner after the Worship service. We let each table decide when they want to do feet-washing as the ladies go to a designated room and the guys to another. 

This Tri-Fold Communion mixes all that is good about being a follower of Christ. Serious thought and consideration is given to what Jesus has done for us and how we must approach him. Familial fellowship is enjoyed around delicious food. The special opportunity to serve and be served is present as we follow the very non-American custom of removing our socks and shoes, taking anothers foot, and rinsing it in a tub of water - then letting someone do the same to us. 

After we have imitated Christ in that way and all have had their fill of meatballs, cheesy potatoes, salad, and pie, we dim the lights and partake of the Bread and the Cup. At the end of the service, as a group, we sing the Doxology. 

As we drove home, my mind went back though to that singular question one of our men asked another. Sure it's a basic question, possibly meant to deflect some awkwardness of the foot-washing exercise. But I felt something deeper at play. 

That question was intentional because the one who asked knew the enjoyment his friend got out of that hobby. 

More than that, he knew his friend. 

That is Christian fellowship. In the midst of worshiping in an unusual way, he inquired about life.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow - even those of leisure that He enjoys to share with us.