Monday Reflections...you know how leftovers sometimes taste better?

I love leftovers.  I go back to that magic white box and pull out some delights from meals gone past.  They are covered with plastic for just this moment or put in special containers like those pictured above.  Leftovers hit the spot and sometimes are more necessary or useful than the original meal.  

The fact is, the original meal had to be prepared for there to be  leftovers.  The preparation of meal one provided for meal two.  There is not as much preparation needed for meal two.  Maybe it is transferred to a plate and popped in the microwave for a quick heat up.  In a few minutes what is on the table for meal two was just a fraction of the time and effort used to make meal one.  

Let me transfer this thought to a second time to meet together with brothers and sisters in Christ on our worship day, the Lord's Day, Sunday.  There is a lot of preparation and effort that goes into that first service, meal one.  We practice throughout the week.  We create a bulletin to be handed out.  We have people in their spots to carry out their ministry responsibilities.  I create a message from God's Word that I have spent hours pouring over.  The first service is like the meal one and your many hours in the kitchen slaving away so that it is just right.

Let me propose that meal two, the leftover, is like Sunday night.  It usually doesn't need as much preparation.  The setting is less formal than meal one.  You are still hungry to eat because that "gut" feeling comes around usually 3 times a day.  For me, the second time with God's people, the Sunday night service, is a very good leftover meal!  What comes from that second meal of God's day, less formal and planned than the first meal of God's day, brings about needed nourishment from God's word and the fellowship around the table (or between and within the pews).

Last night was like a great leftover meal.  A couple great songs were sung with just our voices.  A great little video clip was shown which I will put below.  A reading of God's word from the Old Testament and one application point that convicted us to look at our own lives.  

"Is there anything buried in your tent 

like Achan buried the devoted things in his tent?"

We finished with a time of prayer for those we love.  Prayers were given for physical, ministry, and gospel needs.  We even pray at times for the next meal one at our church.  We end the service with some deeper conversations with those gathered and some great hugs before we go our separate ways.  We go away full from this leftover, second meal on the Lord's Day.  

May we not be malnourished of God's provisions because we are not going back to His refrigerator enough and having another meal with His family that He has given to you.  Take a moment to watch the video below (about 5 minutes).  It is a good one!

Adam