Merging is an Ongoing Journey - The Only Thing I Wanted To Do

Yes, yes, it's been a few weeks. Sorry. Things are busy for me both personally and professionally and I didn't have the energy to write while I was off (went on a long hike) or during my lunch break while at work. But, you know, stuff happens from time to time. And I'll try to be better about getting back on schedule.

So yesterday was Sunday. Yesterday was also my birthday. And there was one thing I wanted to do yesterday. That was go to church.

Me in the car before I left to go to church

The last time I went to church on my birthday was when there was a hurricane coming through the area, so it was a very crazy day. A memorable one, but a crazy one. Yesterday was much less crazy. I got to go to church and take part in soaking prayer, which I am growing to love. And then we had our regular service, which had some really good hymns, a service led by one of our lay leaders (which I always enjoy), and a guest speaker who was great. Oh, and a great postlude.

The rest of the day was quiet for me. 

But I just loved being in the church environment on my birthday. I got so many birthday hugs and wishes. It was the place I wanted to be and needed to be. I love that church can have that effect on me, not just on special days but on every day that I am there.

Merging is an Ongoing Journey - VBS

A day late - sorry!

So last week was Vacation Bible School at church. And it wasn't just for kids - it was also for adults. Anastasia and I attended together (except for Friday when I had to make a trip to Cape Cod) which was really very cool. Every night we got to have dinner together and then we played games with our table, which ranged night to night with different adults and children.

Anastasia and Aunt Jenn on the first day of VBS

Anastasia really enjoyed herself, making friends, learning songs, doing arts and crafts, playing games, and learning different Bible stories.

For the adults we did scripture studies each night and then a talk on different subjects.

The night ended together with more music.

I have a few memories of Vacation Bible School when I was a kid. At different churches. Singing songs like This Little Light of Mine and King of Kings. Snack time. Getting a Bible. Some of the spaces we were in.

I am so glad Anastasia was able to have some of the same fun.

And I had fun too! I am truly glad they included adults as well. It gave me the opportunity to not only learn with people I have learned with before but with others that I know from other contexts but not necessarily studies or small groups.

I hope we can do it again next year!

Merging is an Ongoing Journey - Worship in the Heat

So, even though it was early enough in the day, it was quite warm (hot) outside yesterday during our outdoor worship service. A lot of the congregation opted to watch from the fellowship hall that allowed breeze in from outside, was shady, and had fans. But several of us were leading worship in the sunny area which was quite warm. We found shade when we weren't singing, but all the singing was in the sun.

Hiding in the shade of a bush between singing

But here is what was very strange for me.  When we were practicing, I felt the sun. I felt the heat. After service when we were putting things away, I felt the sun and I felt the heat.  But during the actual service, it was like the heat went away.  The sun never did, but it didn't bother me that much.

It reminded me of times when I would be doing something for a church service or program when I was tired, sore, hot, had a migraine, or just felt plain terrible - but I was able to push on and almost forget what I was feeling because what I was doing was for God.

Yesterday it must have been the same thing. Because while I do know I was getting burned by the sun and it was warm and I was probably starting to get dehydrated, none of that mattered because I was part of the time of worshiping God.

I'm not saying one has to ignore those things that may be bothering you. Because we do also need to take care of ourselves - God would want that! But sometimes those inconveniences can be overlooked or at least become a little less annoying when you are doing something like praising God.

I used to be overly sensitive about the heat. A day like yesterday I would have been complaining the entire time about everything. But I guess something changed. It was where I needed to be, even with the outdoor conditions the way they were.

Merging is an Ongoing Journey - An Impulse Buy

Leaders don't always have it 100% perfect. Just like everyone else, we are all striving towards perfection but it is a daily striving.  Each day is another day to get better what we didn't do as well at the day before.  Or, as I was saying in my sermon yesterday, every day is a new day to become a whole new you.

About a year and a half ago I gave my first message for the young and young at heart where the prompt was to write out a "valentine" (it was Valentine's Day after all) to someone that you had a hard time forgiving.  I did this because there was someone in my past that I was having a difficult time forgiving.

Turns out I still do.

Thus the impulse buy from Target over the weekend.  Because while I know that I should not let this particular situation bother me any more, there is a part of me that still struggles with forgiving this person for what they did.

But why post about this during this series?

Because this is from my past church life.  And as merging is an ongoing journey, so is this particular forgiveness journey I am on. So it seems.

With the time off I have coming up, my hope is to be able to read through this book and maybe, finally, move past what I'm struggling with.  Wouldn't that be nice?  But, at the very least, be able to not let it bother me so much any more.