Another Christmas potluck at the church...
It was a cold and becoming snowy night as we traveled back to the church building for our annual Christmas potluck with our church family. We did have thoughts in our minds that it might be lightly attended because of the weather that was coming upon us but we leave the numbers to God and have learned to focus on the individuals that are before us.
What a great feeling when you have to combine tables of food and squeeze everything in so that we can use another table for seating people who have come. The room was very full that night with God's family here joining for a grand feast.
The night was concluded by the singing of the Christmas carols, without instruments, just the voices of the people. I have the rare opportunity each Lord's Day to stand in front of this congregation for the last 16 years and see the families of the church together for such events as these. I scan the room for my wife, always getting comfort and strength from her presence to lead, because next I was to initiate something that I didn't know how it would go or how those around me would respond.
I called upon the men of the church to come up one at a time and introduce themselves and their families and to share one new thing that has happened in their life or the life of their families. Even though there was a lot of laughs underneath it all was a transformation that has been in the makings for awhile. Each one came up as called and some even before called to accomplish the task. The men lead through that activity and I was rejoicing on the inside about what I was seeing.
So many times the men of the church are on the sidelines or brought along to church or missing in action when it comes to these gatherings but God is doing a work here among the men to change that. Men are helping men grow up in God's ways and I watched it in a small way last night.
"Way to go guys!" Our mentor and leader and more than anything our Savior is Jesus and we will continue to pattern our actions and words after Him because there is no one else to follow but Him.
Adam
What a great feeling when you have to combine tables of food and squeeze everything in so that we can use another table for seating people who have come. The room was very full that night with God's family here joining for a grand feast.
The night was concluded by the singing of the Christmas carols, without instruments, just the voices of the people. I have the rare opportunity each Lord's Day to stand in front of this congregation for the last 16 years and see the families of the church together for such events as these. I scan the room for my wife, always getting comfort and strength from her presence to lead, because next I was to initiate something that I didn't know how it would go or how those around me would respond.
I called upon the men of the church to come up one at a time and introduce themselves and their families and to share one new thing that has happened in their life or the life of their families. Even though there was a lot of laughs underneath it all was a transformation that has been in the makings for awhile. Each one came up as called and some even before called to accomplish the task. The men lead through that activity and I was rejoicing on the inside about what I was seeing.
So many times the men of the church are on the sidelines or brought along to church or missing in action when it comes to these gatherings but God is doing a work here among the men to change that. Men are helping men grow up in God's ways and I watched it in a small way last night.
"Way to go guys!" Our mentor and leader and more than anything our Savior is Jesus and we will continue to pattern our actions and words after Him because there is no one else to follow but Him.
Adam
Comments
Post a Comment