Church in the Windshield

Christmas Eve Service at Lucas

December 24, 2019

 

Christmas is such a special time of the year and we always look forward to visiting a different church each year for Christmas Eve.  This year, we visited the Lucas United Methodist Church and the church was so beautifully decorated. Sometimes it is hard to express in words or pictures a Christmas Eve Service. The Advent candles in the above picture indicate the four Sundays of the season. The first candle of the Advent season represents Hope, the second candle represents Faith, the third represents Joy and the fourth candle represents Peace.

A white candle in the center of the wreath represents the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

The flickering candles alongside the isle were so inviting that even before the service started there was a sense of the spirit and presence of God. Perhaps that is one of the reasons people are so drawn to the service. Certainly, people seem to be friendlier and more tolerant of each other during the Advent and Christmas season. It is a time of mending relationships healing wounded feelings and gifts of great generosity.

 

I should think this might be

another reason for people to appreciate the Christmas Eve Service. But then there is something about the flickering flames that causes us to look deep within ourselves and connect with God in unforgettable ways. Like staring into a campfire we experience physical warmth. Staring into the candle light, we perceive spiritual warmth. The isle candles in clusters of three represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As we look around the sanctuary we see beautiful red poinsettias placed on either side of the altar, so appropriate for the season. We pause for a moment and remind ourselves of the meaning of the poinsettias. Poinsettias are the December flowers that represent good cheer and success. Poinsettias come from a Mexican tradition of a boy gathering flowers along the side of the road to place on the altar. The

flowers turned into poinsettias. I borrowed this information from the internet and you can read the actual article by clicking on the following Link: https://www.teleflora.com/meaning-of-flowers/poinsettia

Have you ever wondered how many traditions of other countries, religions and traditions are incorporated into our Christmas celebration?

The Lucas United Methodist Church has the most glorious Christmas tree and it’s such a nice touch to the seasonal sanctuary adornment. Sheron and I really enjoy seeing Christmas trees all decked out in gala apparel.

This Christmas tree with sparkly lights and

Chrisman’s of angels, doves of peace, hearts and fish help us focus on Christian thoughts. The tradition of Christmas trees started in America in approximately 1870 although the exact year depends on the writer. Christmas trees were originally decorated with paper chains, strings of popcorn or strings of berries. It was not until the 1900’s that trees were decorated with lights and other trimmings but, I digress. Sheron and I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful Christmas tree at the Lucas church. Soon it was time for the service to begin and it started with the traditional Christmas carol, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” Other Christmas carols were sung throughout the service . . . “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ . . . “O Holy Night” . . . “Away in a Manger” . . . “The First Noel” and “Joy to the World.”  We love those old hymns and it would not seem like Christmas without singing them. Although the hymns were from modern times more than from the time of Jesus’ birth, they have become such a part of our Christmas tradition.

The Christmas scriptures were read throughout the service including prophesy of Jesus birth from Isaiah 9:2-7; an angel appearing to Joseph in a dream, Matthew 1:18-23. Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear a child in Luke 1:26-38 and the child was born in Luke 2:1-7. Shepherd came in Luke 2:8-18 and wise men followed a star in Matthew 2:1-12. At the close of the service, the lights were dimmed and candles were lit . . . “Silent Night” so beautifully sung by the congregation. 

  The most joyous symbol of all . . . The Holy family on the altar . . . The reason for the season!

Until next time, “Remember the Reason for the Season!

Ron & Sheron, drivers behind the windshield

 

Gabriel “Man of God”

Every year, I enjoy and appreciate the story of Jesus’ birth as we all do. The story for me is something very special and each year, I imagine myself as one of the characters of the story so that I can absorb more of the meaning, like a sponge soaking up water. This year is no exception as I consider the angel Gabriel. I am not an angel by any means but I always wonder . . . what if? Perhaps it would be like this.

Lord, it is such a joy and blessing for me to serve you and I lift your name on high. Why only today, I was thinking back over the times that you have sent me to deliver a message to someone on earth. You sent me to the prophet Daniel to interpret a dream. I was a bit frightening to Daniel though because I didn’t appear as an angel but as a person. Daniel in his fright bowed down to he ground.

Then you sent me to Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist with this message: Luke 1:19-22 NIV)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. ⁷ But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old . . . .

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

How old am I you might ask? The earthlings mark time by days, weeks, months and years, but we stand outside the realm of time, don’t we? We stand in the very edifice of time itself and watch the earth spin . . . and the universe orbit in perfect harmony. So when someone asks how old I am . . .  I smile and gently move my wings as if to say . . . eons my friend . . . eons. Today though, you ask me to do the most awesome thing I have ever done in all my history. You have asked me to announce to Mary that she will give birth to a child who will be the savior of the world. But first, I must tell Joseph, her fiancé that it is OK to marry her, because he has some serious doubts and wants to do the honorable thing. So I will be on my way Lord, to speak to Joseph. . . . The encounter with Joseph went well Lord, and now I am ready to share the good news with Mary. I feel awesome responsibility in delivering this message Lord.

Mary, I am Gabriel, and I have a message for you from God. Perhaps you ought to be seated as I share this message with you.

. . . “Do not be afraid, Mary, for ^eyou have found favor with God. 31 And behold, ^fyou will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and ^gyou shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of ^hthe Most High. And the Lord God ⁱwill give to him the throne of ^jhis father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob ^kforever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to me, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”⁴

35 . . .  ^l“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ^hthe Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born⁵ will be called ^mholy—ⁿthe Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her ^owho was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

God bless you Mary and He will always be with you. (Luke 1:5-38 NIV Paraphrased)

Things went well with Mary Lord and I think she understands the honor you have given her. It has been an honor to share your messages to the earthlings. I will wait for further instructions . . . .
 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Ron & Sheron, Drivers behind the windshield

 

 

 

 

Church in the Windshield

 

Immanuel Lutheran Church

November 10, 2019

 

Our journey takes us to the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wilson, Kansas. This stately church, made of native stone, has been a great source of encouragement to the Wilson community for many years. It’s an attractive church on the outside and an inviting church on the inside. We have been there a number of times over the years as the church participates in community church functions. So it was not any surprise that the people knew us when we arrived and gave us a very friendly and personable welcome.

As we entered the church we, once again, experienced the beautiful interior, altar and cross. The structure itself pointed our eyes toward the heavens; the light shining through the windows exemplified and enhanced the setting for worship. Sometimes, we take for granted all the different aids that help us focus on God and worship Him. At any rate we felt right at home in the service that day. “God is good all the time; all the time God is good.”

 

The high liturgical service with readings, hymns, scriptures and affirmations gave us a sense of the thread that ties all churches to the historical past, present and new hopes for the future. It’s always amazing to us how similar even different denominations are in their traditions of worship. Though each denomination has its own way of worship the under lying presence of God is still there. Here is a church that usually keeps a pastor for long periods of time and it is not uncommon for a pastor to baptize, marry and bury several generations of the same family. There is wisdom and continuity in that type of ministry. It’s that continuity that families relish during times of joy, celebration and grief. We can go to our pastor as he or she is the stabilizing factor that has always been there for us. There is a tremendous amount of spiritual comfort in that type of relationship. Thank God for pastors willing to serve their churches and communities with long commitments.

 

 Rev. Delvin Strecker is one of those dedicated pastors even though he has been here a relatively short time and is soon to retire from service. Rev. Strecker is very dedicated to the Lord’s work; very personable and friendly as he ministers to his congregation. The picture shows him standing on the left side of the altar in full Lutheran attire. Rev. Strecker can speak German fluently to the delight of this church with German roots. Assisting with the service is Brad Shiermeyer and is pictured on the ride side of the altar. The two of them make a great team as they lead their congregation in the worship service.

 

Five children came down for children’s time that morning. Each of them listened intently to the pastor’s message. Precious little cherubs they were and I was reminded of the responsibility that we have as churches, pastors and Christians to help guide and mold the lives of the little ones.

Matthew 19:14 New International Version (NIV) 14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." We give God thanks for churches that have little children . . . the church of tomorrow . . . God bless them each one.

The Immanuel Lutheran Church is notorious for their soup suppers. This popular event attracts and invites people from all the denominations to come to share in the joy and fellowship of the church. It’s heart-warming to see how many people from the other churches in town do come to partake of the soup supper. The church is also known for its participation in the local food bank program and it does a great job collecting food and donations.

There is a no frills sign out front that identifies the church, the pastor and the service times. We are all so used to seeing church signs with flashing colors, giving announcements and show-casing a crawl line giving additional information. And that’s all good mind you, but here is a church with a sign that gives the basics and that is good also.  If you would like to visit a church that teaches the word of God, Stop by the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wilson. You will always be welcome and the will treat you well. The church is located at 2819 Avenue F in Wilson, Kansas. Worship Service starts at 9:00 a.m. and Sunday school starts at 10:45 a.m.

 

 

Until next time, keep on serving God and He will Bless you.

Ron & Sheron, Drivers behind the windshield

Church in the Windshield

Mizpah United Methodist Church

October 13, 2019

 

Some of America’s finest churches are found on back roads; little churches, thriving, caring and witnessing to their church families. The Mizpah United Methodist Church is one of those wonderful churches. This church is located twelve miles south of Clay Center, Kansas on Highway 15 and a quarter of a mile east on sixth road. The church, sitting on the hilltop can be seen from the highway. This little church has weathered physical storms and given spiritual hope to its community since its establishment in 1905.

The Biblical meaning of Mizpah in Hebrew is “watchtower.” The mission of the church is to love God, help others and help others love God.

We arrived about thirty minutes ahead of the service so that we could take some pictures as per usual for us. Except for a car or two, the parking lot was empty but the sun shining on the eastern

side of building, the white fence and the winding ramp caught our attention. Here was a church that was well maintained and seemed to say “come on in.” In a little while, cars began entering the parking lot and parked along the white fence. We observed a good mix of young people, middle aged and “sun-setters” like ourselves. It was obvious that the Mizpah Church was a family church and everyone was a part of the family, including us.

Most of the congregation entered the church by way of a side door instead of the front door; perhaps it was because of the steps. We chose to climb the steps so we could get a straight in view of the sanctuary.

Our first view of the sanctuary revealed a nicely remodeled place of worship . . . warm, friendly and inviting. People greeted us with cheerful “good morning” and introduced themselves. Two of our cousins’ also members of the church saw us; came and gave us greeting. It was good to see them. There were more greetings, welcomes and pleasantries.

We found a pew near the front of the church and sat down. Pastors, even retired ones, often sit near the front of the church; guess it is because those seats are usually the vacant ones.

As we waited for the church service to start, my mind wondered back to earlier conversations with two of my aunts. Both of them related that they had attended the Mizpah Church early in their lives and I wondered how many years ago that had been. Before I could figure it out, the service started and jerked my thoughts back to the present day worship.

The service started with a Prelude, Welcome, Announcements and Greetings. That was followed by traditional worship including Songs, Prayers, Collects, and Affirmations. Pastor Debra read her scripture text from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 17 and Verses 11-19. Ten lepers, outcasts of the community, quarantined and forced to live within boundaries were healed from the dreaded contagious disease of leprosy. Jesus healed them and said to them, “Get up and Go . . . show yourselves to the priest.” And there were boundaries, even in the midst of good. Pastor Debra Tompsett-Welch did an excellent job focusing her congregation on the importance of boundaries. She framed the scripture with a keen refreshing new insight that differed from the well-worn perception of ten healed, and only one gave thanks. I must say that Sheron and I were very impressed and listened to every word spoken that morning. It’s amazing how we can read familiar passages of scripture many times throughout our lives and with each reading find a golden nugget of spiritual inspiration. Amen and Amen.

It was such a joy to experience first-hand the enthusiasm of people excited about fellowshipping together. “Come and join us,” they invited. We joined them and had a delightful time of CD&C (Coffee, Donuts and Conversation). Two adult Sunday school classes met in the educational wing of the church. One class was a young married peoples’ class and the other class was . . . well more nearly our age. Both classes were large especially for a country church and both classes warmly invited us to visit. On this day, we visited the “been married a long time” class. My cousin Dianna taught the class and did a beautiful job.

During our travels, we have found that each church has a custom or tradition that is special for that church. A special tradition for the Mizpah church is a closing exercise that is held in the sanctuary following Sunday school. Everybody gathers in the sanctuary and waits for other Sunday school classes to adjourn and join them. When everyone is together, announcements are made; sometimes a song is sung and people have encouraging words to lift up Jesus throughout the coming week.  In our view, this church really has it together . . . it’s a great church and they will be glad to have you.  Services start at 9:00 a.m. each Sunday.

Until next time, share the nuggets of faith and encourage each other.

Ron & Sheron, Drivers behind the Windshield

Church in the Windshield

Mount Olivet Christian Church

September 15, 2019

One of the neat things about writing blogs is that we get to see (and write) about new churches and meet new people. This particular Sunday was no exception. We had just seen the Ark Encounter Museum and thought it was just out of this world wonderful and exciting (Please see the previous blog). On this particular Sunday though, we were looking for a church to attend in the Williamstown, Kentucky area. I got on the internet and began searching for churches in the area. One church that caught my attention and interest was the Mount Olivet Christian Church. Perhaps it was because the picture of it was a very modern up to date church or perhaps it was just a sense that we might enjoy

that church on this particular day. I showed the picture and write up to Sheron and said, “I think this would be a great church to attend today,” and she agreed. So we made the short drive from our camp ground (The Three Springs Campground) to the church. Lucille, our GPS, was most helpful when it came to finding our way. Upon arrival we saw this interesting marque. We stopped and studied the marque for a while and then took some pictures. There was just something about the marque that drew us to the church. Was it the stones . . . the cross . . . the mount? At any rate, we were excited to get to attend the church service.

We drove down to the parking lot and saw that the entrance of the church was ‘buzzing” with happy excited people . . . happy people that they knew about God . . . excited to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Certainly there was a warm and inviting spirit about this place.

There was a welcoming line that extended from the front doors of the church to the edge of the parking-lot. Both young and old extended their “hand shake welcomes” and greeted us with “Thanks for coming . . . we are so glad that you have come to worship with us today.”  Why, I suspect that there were at least a dozen people who greeted us outside the church that morning. From that moment on, we felt like we were a part of the church family. Upon entering the church, we were greeted by another group of people and they each in turn welcomed us. “Here is a bulletin for the worship service” they said. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” “Would you like to sign our electronic register so we can properly welcome you?” Like clock-work it went and soon we entered the sanctuary with a warm afterglow of being treated well.

The theater type sanctuary was most interesting with different colored lights and points of interest. Pink or blue lights outlined the stage and worship area. We thought it was nice touch.

 A cross in the corner of the sanctuary caught our eye; we focused on it and thought this church with modern media still keeps “the main thing . . . the main thing.” The main thing is the sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ. As we gazed upon the cross and the worship area beside the cross, we were reminded of Jesus being on the cross. A shadow of the cross on the wall reminded us of the past history of the cross and connected the cross to our present day understanding and meaning.

Our attention was then focused on the stage and worship area of the sanctuary. We observed the provisions for a praise band. Our minds wondered a bit while we prepared our thoughts and minds to focus on worship. We didn’t have long to wait though for the song leader invited everyone to stand and we sang a number of songs with the words printed on two giant monitors for easy reading. The singing was so upbeat and uplifting that we instantly experienced a sense of the Holy Spirit. God was indeed in this place.

The service progressed and Pastor Mark Messmore (new to Mount Olivet in July) delivered a very timely, ordained by God, message. The message presented in modern day style challenged our thinking and gave us a spiritual nugget of encouragement, grace and hope.

When the service ended, we had the joy of meeting and visiting with new found friends. One in particular, Jeremiah (not his real name) visited with us at length and we experienced a bonding friendship. We shall call his name Jeremiah meaning lifted up by God because he shared a God given gift with us. The gift he shared with us was that of listening, caring, and sharing God’s message. In this busy world, we sometimes forget how important it is just to communicate.

After a great time of worship and sharing, we headed back to the camp ground still in the warm after-glow of God’s presence. What a positive send off for our journey back to Kansas the next day.

When we arrived back at the campground, we decided to check our e-mails one more time before packing to travel and there it was. “You got mail . . . Thanks for coming to the worship service today.”

Until next time, safe travel, keep the faith and communicate God’s love.

Ron & Sheron, drivers behind the windshield

 

Church in the Windshield

Ark Encounter

Williamstown, Kentucky

September 12, 2019

 



Sheron and I have always been intrigued with the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. We followed documentaries of the ark and traced its possible finding on Mount Ararat. We could not even begin to fathom the actual size of the ark until we saw this life size replica. After seeing the ark, we think it should be considered as one of the great wonders of the world.

 

God recognized that Noah was very faithful to him and said, “Noah I am going to destroy the world but I will spare you and your family. I want you to build an ark and the length should be 510 feet, the width should be 85 feet and the height should be 51 feet. (Genesis 6:13-21 Paraphrased). Ark Encounter architects calculated cubits to feet and there was a lot of discussion about the length of a cubit.  The original ark took several decades for Noah and his three sons to build. The Ark Encounter took a whole team of skilled craftsmen a couple of years to build but they were using modern day tools to do the job.  

As we entered the Ark, we saw this sign and stopped to read it and this is what it said.

                WELCOME TO THE ARK
 

Noah is in his 600^th year and much has happened. His father, Lamech, passed away five years ago, and his grandfather, Methuselah, died in the past year at the age of 969. Seven days ago, the Lord commanded Noah to enter the Ark along with his family.

So Noah, his wife, Emzara, and their three sons and their wives spent the past week loading the animals and are now storing the last of the provisions the Ark. They need to hurry . . . the storm is almost there. Of course, there were those who scoffed at Noah, after all it had taken several decades to build and there had never been rain.

Inside the three-story Ark, we saw massive pillars and we were on the second story. The picture is in and up toward the top of the Ark. There is no way to describe the size of these giant pillars fastened together with long large bolts. We stood there for a moment, pondering where these mammoth logs were found and how they were structured in the ark. Even more so, we wondered how Noah and his sons managed the logs for this huge structure. Was it just Noah and his sons or were there other workers as well.

It seems a bit strange to us to see the living quarters of Noah’s family. Perhaps it is because traditionally the awesomeness has been placed on all the animals that lived on the ark. In this particular picture we see at least some of the amenities that may have been on the ark. The man in the picture is carrying a basket of fresh vegetables. The spared ones on the ark did not know how long they would have to stay on the ark so they grew their own food. The decades of planning and building really began to “pay off.” No McDonalds or Burger Kings here.

They made their own clothes, their own rugs, and their own coverings. Here is a picture of the possible type of loom that might have been used during that time. Noah and his family were creative forward thinking people and the loom was an important tool for them.

Here is a picture of what might have been the ark oven where breads were made and cooking done. It is certainly different than the modern day glass top stoves and microwaves that we enjoy today. The clay type ovens would hold a constant heat for a long period of time which made it ideal for baking. I stood and looked at the oven for a while and thought it reminded me of a kiva like one that we have at our house.

Two highly skilled craftsmen are portrayed in the ark, one skilled in metal shaping and the other skilled in wood working. In a fleeting moment, we ask ourselves, “How can this be?” Then we are reminded once again about the building of the ark.  These knowledgeable craftsmen knew some form of mathematics and some way of measuring a cubit. They knew how to cut and install huge timbers; use thick massive lumber to fashion the hull of the ark and how to seal the boards with tar. It is likely that metal was used in tools to shape large wooden pegs to be pounded in place with a giant sized wooden mallet. Water would cause the pegs to swell making it impossible for the sides of the hull to come apart.

How, would you like to have this creature in a cage . . . or even have to feed it? Fortunately this creature was not a meat eater but rather a vegetarian as were all the animals in Noah’s time. Notice the slats beneath this creature. This creative idea was used to dispose of waste products from the animals. (There are some clearer pictures of this later in the blog) None the less, if this thing was in my house, I would sleep with one eye open.

Here is a picture of some of the many cages used to house birds. Notice the feeders and the water bottles mounted on the sides of the cage. Consequently, the birds had enough food and water to last for more than one day. The same thing was true of the other animals as well. Their cages had long chutes with large burlap covered containers on top. These containers were filled to the brim so they would not have to be filled every day. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of those feeders.

Most of the animals looked different than the animals that we know today. I am not sure what this creature is or if we have descendants of it today. It is suggested that this animal is the forerunner of the crocodile. One cage had a couple of giraffes and their necks were about half the length of the giraffes of today.

Noah’s Ark was well supplied with water bottles and feed sacks to water and feed some forty seven hundred species of birds and animals.

Perhaps you have had the same question as we did of how the waste products disposed. The larger animals had bins underneath their cages to catch the waste products. Bird cages had sloped boards underneath their cages to channel waste products to a cleaning trough at the outside of the cage.

Finally, the animals are loaded; the great door of the ark is closed and sealed with tar. Noah and his family are huddled together and praying. Briefly, I imagine myself there with Noah and his family and try to capture what Noah is feeling. I experience awe . . . an incredible closeness to God . . . and painful sadness for those who chose not to be on the ark.

The prayer is finished now and in my mind’s eye, I start to see lightning . . . I hear thunder . . . in the distance at first and then louder and louder until almost defining. It’s starting to rain now . . . heavy rain . . . rain coming in torrential sheets like I have never seen in my entire life. I make my way to the hull of the ship where a torch is lit and wonder what will happen next. Several days have passed now and the rain keeps coming day and night . . . neither slowing nor relenting. It’s like a hundred stalled nerve-wracking hurricanes and I wonder if the ark will be able to stand it? But wait, I think I felt some movement . . . I once again hurry to the hull of the ship and watch . . . and wait . . . and listen. There are some creaking sounds and then, yes, there it is again, the ark is starting to move. Ever so gracefully the ark begins to float like God gently lifting it from the land in the palms of His hands. Forty days and forty nights now it has rained non-stop but the ark is floating and we are safe.

Until next time, remember God spared His people twice, once with an Ark and once with His son Jesus the Christ. Put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and you will be safe.

 

Ron & Sheron, drivers behind the windshield

Church in the Windshield 

Stull United Methodist Church

September 8, 2019

Drive west of Lawrence on East 250 Road, Lecompton, Kansas to the address of 1596. There you will find a very unique United Methodist Church. This well-kept church symbolizes faith, hope, grace and prosperity. It’s an attractive building from the outside and is community serving from the inside.

The marquee at the front of the church says, “Welcome, Stull UMC United in Mission with Christ.” I pondered that statement for a moment and then went around on the other side of the building to take a few more pictures for the blog. The parking lot is on the back side of the church consequently, church members and visitors enter the back door of the church to attend the worship service.

The back of the church was just as impressive as the front of the church. It also left the impression that here was a congregation that took good care of their building. A closer look revealed some interesting things. There was a box on a pedestal and from a distance, I could not tell what it was. I walked up close to the box and saw a clever and unique idea. The box was a place to borrow or return a book and this out door library was often used by members of the church and community. What a wonderful way to encourage reading, I thought to myself, and here is another way of uniting with Christ in mission. 

A slight turn of the camera revealed a prayer garden. It was so peaceful, so quiet, so restful . . . so inviting. One could sit on the bench, meditate, pray or read God’s word and experience His presence in an awesome glorious way. Here is another form of outreach I surmised. Sometimes, it’s the little things that render the greatest spiritual awakenings . . . a prayer garden . . . the song of a meadow lark or the music of an exuberant house wren. I wonder sometimes, how many things God has made to enhance our lives and we are so busy . . . so pre-occupied that we miss them. Sheron and I saw a number of hummingbirds hovering in the air at a feeder and gave God thanks for the little reminders that He sent us.

After the birds sang there was a moment of deafening silence . . .   . Silence in the midst of sound is like a diamond on black velvet. I stood there for a quiet moment and gazed at the prayer garden. Surely, God was in this place.

The silence was broken when a friend of ours asked, “Would you like to see some of the things that our church is doing?” I responded with, “Yes, I would like that very much.”  “Follow me,” he said. A fleeting thought and a Bible scripture came to mind and I wondered if this was what the disciples might have felt when Jesus said, “Come . . . follow me.” (Matthew 4:19). I was escorted to the basement where I saw a well-organized rack of clothes that was available to the community as needed. There was a fully stocked

food pantry next to the clothing store. It was obvious that this church was equipped to be “United in Mission with Christ.”

Soon it was time for the service to begin and we made our way into the sanctuary along with other folk gathered for worship. This little church family greeted us each one with the warmest, sweetest “Hello’s . . . glad you are here.” Why I don’t think there was a person in church that morning that didn’t welcome us. For a little while we felt like we were truly a part of their flock.

A praise band consisting of a violin, bass guitar, piano player and two singers helped us focus as we began the praise worship service. Pastor Marshall Larson, new to the church this year, did an excellent job presenting the message entitled “Blessed Assurance,” and it was based on the scriptures of Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18.

Psalm 139:13-18 New International Version (NIV)

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

The above passage of scripture could certainly be a source of assurance to any Christian person . . . “Blessed Assurance.” The sermon title and the scripture cause me to think about the song in the Methodist hymnal where the words are in part . . . “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, Oh what a foretaste of Glory Devine . . .  .

Until next time keep the assurance in your heart and a song on your lips.

Ron & Sheron, drivers behind the windshield