Preparing for Tomorrow

This is an amazing thought: almost everyone who reads this will be free to go to church tomorrow! No fear of being arrested or stoned. No intimidation. Simply free to go to church and worship the One who above all deserves our praise and love. So here's a thought to guide us as we prepare for church tomorrow. It's from Christopher Ellis.

"The gathering of Christian worship is where Christians express what they believe in a forthright and explicit way. In worship, Christians articulate what they believe, and express it in ways which are often memorable. They use their own words and they use the words of others, often passed down from previous generations. They use actions and gestures to express what cannot easily be put into words. Most importantly, they bring themselves, their hopes and fears, their guilty feelings and their concerns, their gratitude and their longings, their self-examination and their seeking for that which is beyond them. In short, they come to worship God, to seek some kind of communication with divine reality and to ask for help, both for themselves and for a desperately needy world.

"In this event of worship we find exposed what the Christian community is concerned about--what it values, what it takes for granted, what it regrets and where it wants to go."

In that light, I plan to pay even more attention tomorrow morning to the words I say, hear, and sing.

I'm aware of more fatigue that usual. I guess that goes along with low blood counts. Otherwise, all is well.

Karin and children are about to leave for their 12-hour drive home. We'll surely be praying for their safety. Sue has a 3-hour layover at the Charlotte airport today; we'll spend the time with her.

Have a great day.

Carol