I have had a pretty neat first Sunday in Advent. For the first time in years, I had neglected to purchase candles for the wreath, so I let a candle, Indonesian Teak small pillar from World Market and pretended during breakfast. I was able to get candles today, so now I am legitimate.
I had two charge conferences today--one at Hale, one at Carrollton-both good. I love all my churches, but some simply feel like "home" for me. Hale is one of them...the furthest away of any of the churches, it took me 2 hours and 10 minutes today and I was booking it. The church has about 85 in attendance regularly, and has several community ministries going. My day was made when I heard a good First Sunday of Advent sermon (Monty Montgomery)--who is an expository preacher. AND we sang "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" and three other hymns. Today, because of the weather and holiday, there were around 60 present---17 of whom are children under 10. The children there are obviously used to being in worship--no children's church would work here.
One of the most poignant moments for me was during the prayer request time. There were prayers for the sick and grieving lifted, one scary story about a teenager who wrecked her car on "dead man's curve" and there was a man whom I had not met before who spoke a request. He has a severe speech impediment and for me was totally impossible to understand. The pastor and congregation listened patiently and Monty said "I think I got some of that ,Vernon." Later during the potluck (YEA!! POTLUCK !!! Really--I love them) I was standing with Monty and Vernon came up and asked a question ...I had no idea what he said, but Monty said..."that's right Vernon, I think we do have some calendars left..."
The First Sunday in Advent is all about keeping watch...Christ will come again and it will happen when we least expect it. We need to be faithfully alert. Being alert means that we listen for the sounds of Christ's coming...sounds like children rustling papers in worship, and a small town church singing so well, beckoning Christ, the joy of longing hearts, to enter our lives again; the sound of people laughing in the kitchen while bustling around to get a meal ready; the sound of man who to many in unintelligible, but who is attentively listened to and respected. And I think about the hymn I am studying for Advent:
Watchman, tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are...
One of those signs is that the church reflects the coming Son through living now the values of the kingdom. How blessed I am to have so many of my 63 churches be churches that are signs of promise of hope and faith,
2 comments:
I have enjoyed reading your entry.
Hale was the first church that my father in law had when he and my mother in law were newly married in 1941. They speak fondly of their days there. He is dead but my 87 year old Mother in law is still living and is very proud that our daughter her grand daughter graduated from Duke with MDIV in May and is a Minister of Christian Education in Jefferson, NC---small town in the mountains near VA and TN
Susan, I so appreciate your perspective! thank you for sharing
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