Rrrrrr!!!

This weekend we attended three services FULL of worship and the Word. It was fantastic!

REMEMBERING: The first one, a funeral where a life suddenly lost was celebrated and the loss felt deeply. We found ourselves lost in worship that was hope filled. We were challenged by the pastor to carefully consider that ignorance greatly lacks hope. The world says ignorance is bliss. How very wrong it is! What great sadness was felt in that service, yet great joy knowing where she is now. She’s no longer in pain. She’s worshiping the Almighty Father. While the void that she left is great on earth and will be felt for a long while – the fact that she RSVP’d for Heaven to be her eternity brings comfort. He referenced 1 Thessalonians 4. A life well lived was remembered. 

 

RESUSCITATING: The second one, a refuge for us as we began attending a Saturday evening worship service where we are not known and nothing is expected of us. It was a counselor decades ago who encouraged us to do this occasionally in ministry to reset when we may find ourselves experiencing caregiver burnout. And this Saturday was no exception. We found ourselves lost in worship examining our faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. And the pastor encouraged us to consider where we are exercising our faith today. What does it look like for us to follow Him? Scriptures he referenced: Hebrews 11 and Matthew 8. Our very hearts were resuscitated. 

 

RESPONSIBILITY: The last one, a baby dedication for our youngest grandchild. Stuart Rothberg, the pastor taught from Ephesians 4:4-6 on being ONE body united. He encouraged us to consider if we are doing all we can to help our church walk in unity. He referenced 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 as well. “We don’t need to be uniformed, but we need to be unified.” We should emphasize what we have in common and celebrate how God created us as individuals, yet we work together as one beautiful body of faith. We gathered after church with extended family, ate crockpots of roast, veggies and cheesecake as we celebrated the gift of this precious little life and the responsibility of training him up right in the ways of the Lord.  To our surprise - this little baby boy began his crawling career right there in front of us. We all were stunned by the beauty of a little human trying to move his body from one point to the other as he was trying to coordinate his arm and leg movements to lunge himself towards the empty water bottle. What an awesome responsibility we have been given to point him to Jesus.    

“Who am I that the highest King would welcome me? 

I was lost but He brought me in.

Oh His love for me, Oh His love for me.

Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed

I’m a child of God, Yes I am

Free at last, He has ransomed me, His grace runs deep

While I was a slave to sin Jesus died for me. Yes He died for me.”

“You unravel me with a melody, You surround me with a song

Of deliverance from my enemies 'til all my fears are gone
I'm no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God 
I'm no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God”

*Taken from Weekly LIFT email.