Merging is an Ongoing Journey - My Laity Sunday Testimony

So, yesterday was Laity Sunday.

Before church - smiling even at 7am

And during the service, after the sermon, we had a time for testimony.  My sister shared something, someone else shared something.  And I shared the below.  It was supposed to conclude with a solo, Let There Be Peace On Earth, which I sang a year ago.  But we had a bit of a timing issue so I cut it.  (Hey, if you have to cut something, cut what you planned to do.)  Though I will say I feel bad because I worked on it Thursday and Sunday morning with someone and it seemed like all that work rehearsing it went out the window.

Anyway, I thought today I'd share the testimony I gave, since I had it written up so I wouldn't get dates and things wrong.

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On March 8, 2020, as someone who loves to use media references, I was told a movie quote, whether they realized it or not, that resonated with me. That quote? It was said to Tony Stark during Avengers: Endgame, “Now you can rest.”

Though after that date, I along with some others, were joining this congregation, I stopped doing most of those promises I had made and revisited from time to time. I was ready to pray for my new congregation. And I was ready to be present, JUST PRESENT, in the ways we could at our new congregation. But I was not ready to do much else, at all, for what I thought would be a VERY LONG time.

Fast forward to October 2020 where I learned a very important lesson. Do not say to your small group leader who also happens to be a Lay Leader and the one planning the Laity Sunday 2020 service, “I just want to sit and watch everyone else this Laity Sunday.” Because just uttering those words leads to a text message that basically says, “Can you sing something for Laity Sunday?” And, you could say, the rest is history.

Most powerfully at work in my life since that point is gifts. As we have gone through the year so far talking about different forms of Stewardship, gifts are not just financial gifts but gifts of self to do the work of the church. A year ago, something opened inside of me at that point. On a personal level, I began to enjoy and love music again, especially organ music. But on a spiritual level, I wanted to do things again in the church. I wanted to be involved again. I wanted to share my gifts, which seem to be singing, being a slightly technical person, and leading – whether it is leading a meeting or a worship service. I didn’t want to rest any more.

I have grown so much in the past year because of this in so many ways. Once you start doing something on a regular basis, it becomes a habit. Yes, there are some bad habits. But there are also good habits, like living into these promises we make and continue to remind ourselves of when there are baptisms in church. Living into these promises helps one grow and improve many aspects of their life.