It has been three days since our worship time this past Sunday and I am still on an absolute high. It was a great time of community and sharing and celebration. Our thought for the day was in keeping with the Advent, Making Room for Jesus. Our cildren opened our time with the song Silent Night. I love hearing our children sing and I love that they are very much a part of our time together. They do not just have token parts either. For me they are a huge part of how I see God each week. They actively show us the love of God.
The teaching from the Word was given to us by our middle school and high school in the form of short dramas of four parables; The Unmerciful Servant, The Wedding Banquet, The Tenants, and The Workers in the Vineyard. They have been studying the parables in the Bible this fall and these helped us to see what they have been doing. Each one spoke for itself as there was no offer of explanation or interpretation. All of us probably heard different things speak to us through the stories that were depicted. During The Unmerciful Servant, I was reminded of how much I have been forgiven of by God and that I should be forgiving to others. In the Wedding Banquet, I saw how frustrated God must be with those who have been called who don't come and how open He is to all. In The Tenants, I was moved to consider how I take advantage of all God has given me and that I need to be willing to give back to those around me and be less selfish. In The Workers in the Vineyard, I was reminded that I have been called now and my only response to that can be to serve as he has called me without judging how God deals with others in comparison to me.
I loved that we had some of our students use their gift of music in playing The First Noel on trumpets. I think it was valuable for them to see that their gifts are useful for more than just school bands or personal enjoyment, but that they can use those talents to share among others in the Kingdom.
We then had a beautiful rendition of What Child Is This to enjoy as our children created the nativity scene up front. It was awesome to see parents come and sit with their children around Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. And then to top it all off, we had one of our kids shout out at the end "Merry Christmas" all on his own. It was sort of our very own "tiny Tim" moment. I think it capped off a beautiful celebration of life in our community and how, through our time together that morning, we were becoming prepared for "the coming of Christ".
I love our community! It is an amazing place to be. I truly hope that somehow, someway, all of us experience the love and grace of God in our lives. Merry Christmas!
The teaching from the Word was given to us by our middle school and high school in the form of short dramas of four parables; The Unmerciful Servant, The Wedding Banquet, The Tenants, and The Workers in the Vineyard. They have been studying the parables in the Bible this fall and these helped us to see what they have been doing. Each one spoke for itself as there was no offer of explanation or interpretation. All of us probably heard different things speak to us through the stories that were depicted. During The Unmerciful Servant, I was reminded of how much I have been forgiven of by God and that I should be forgiving to others. In the Wedding Banquet, I saw how frustrated God must be with those who have been called who don't come and how open He is to all. In The Tenants, I was moved to consider how I take advantage of all God has given me and that I need to be willing to give back to those around me and be less selfish. In The Workers in the Vineyard, I was reminded that I have been called now and my only response to that can be to serve as he has called me without judging how God deals with others in comparison to me.
I loved that we had some of our students use their gift of music in playing The First Noel on trumpets. I think it was valuable for them to see that their gifts are useful for more than just school bands or personal enjoyment, but that they can use those talents to share among others in the Kingdom.
We then had a beautiful rendition of What Child Is This to enjoy as our children created the nativity scene up front. It was awesome to see parents come and sit with their children around Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. And then to top it all off, we had one of our kids shout out at the end "Merry Christmas" all on his own. It was sort of our very own "tiny Tim" moment. I think it capped off a beautiful celebration of life in our community and how, through our time together that morning, we were becoming prepared for "the coming of Christ".
I love our community! It is an amazing place to be. I truly hope that somehow, someway, all of us experience the love and grace of God in our lives. Merry Christmas!
posted by Mark at 11:46 AM
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