Why I Love Church....

Well, there are a lot of reasons, but here are just a few from today.

1.  At Church, I am inspired and encouraged to press on in my dependence on and faith in Jesus Christ.  I am reminded that the world's way is not God's way, that His ways are higher than my ways, that He is good, He loves me, and my life will be most full when it is all about loving Him back and living every moment for Him.  The world says that my life is most full when it is most comfortable, easiest, when all is going my way.  Jesus says my life will be most full when I am following Him wherever He leads.  Today, we prayed a Prayer for the New Year as a congregation.  It was written by John Wesley in the 1750's.  It's called the Wesley Covenant Prayer and it goes like this:

The Prayer

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Pretty inspiring, huh?  

2.  Also at church, I am reminded that I am on this road of faith with others - I am not alone.  Today,  in the pew behind us, sat a young family.  A mom, a dad, and their 3 year old only daughter.   This mom and dad were so attentive to their sweet little girl, helping her know which page we were on in worship, pointing the words out to her from the hymnal, helping her remember to bow her head to pray.  She would loudly exclaim, "AMEN!" at the end of every prayer, and she would sing her little heart out to every song.  She had the "Little Girl's Study Bible" in her hand, the very same Bible we'd purchased for Ruthie and Hannah when they were little.  It was like a trip down memory lane to see that Bible!  So, meeting this family reminded me a bit of where I've been on my road.  

After church, a lady came up to us with a gift.  She'd purchased a book for Ruthie, Hannah and me called Kisses from Katie about a young woman who moved to Uganda when she was 18 to teach in a preschool there.  She's now adopted numerous children and started an entire ministry in Uganda!  The kind lady at church who gave us this book did so much more than just give us a bunch of words printed on bound paper.  She encouraged me and my girls.  By giving that gift, she said to us, "I've been thinking of you and praying for you.  Go forward!  Move on with confidence in Jesus.  I will be praying for you!"  

Afterward, a special woman from Germany spoke with Tim and me as we were about to leave.  Every word she spoke encouraged and exhorted us to deeper faith in the Lover of our Souls, our Savior.  She reminded us how easily false faith in self, pride, fear, and that "pesky little i" can creep into our walk with Jesus, and that we only have to turn back to Him each time and renew our faith in Him alone to get back on the track.  Oh, to have the wisdom of some of the folks at our church who are further down the road with Jesus than we are.  

Lastly, we bumped into a retired Colonel whose wife recently underwent hip replacement surgery.  He sat way ahead of us in church, and I watched the entire service as he lovingly helped her rise and sit between songs and readings.  When she couldn't stand, he sat with her, his arm lovingly draped around her shoulders.  They've been married 60+ years I think, yet he treats her like his new bride.  It is beautiful to watch.  This man reminds me a lot of Tim, with about 30 extra years on him.  

I will miss these dear souls next year, but what an encouragement it will be to KNOW that they are praying for us, lifting us up to the Father.  I love knowing I am not on this journey alone, but travel with so many others who have been forever changed, and are being daily changed and renewed again, by Jesus.  He isn't just my Savior, He is Savior to all who have looked to Him for refuge.  And there is no one I'd rather travel the road of faith with than the people God has put on this path with us.  I can't wait to see who else He puts in our path next year - we'll have new brothers and sisters to walk our faith journey with from a whole new part of God's world.  Hard to believe that this time next year, we'll have a whole new group of friends.