Thinking Out Loud

I was really saddened last week to learn that Al and Tipper Gore had separated after 40 years of marriage.  I’m not really sure why the news of their marital difficulties and estrangement hit me like it did.  You would think that in a culture of disposable relationships, starter marriages, and a running storyline of extra-marital affairs among politicians and celebrities that the Gores’ announcement of separation wouldn’t have created a blip on my radar screen.  But, for some reason, it did.

Maybe it is because they have been married for four decades and there is no initial indication of “another man” or “another woman” in the equation.  Maybe it is because they seemed so committed to one another and had successfully journeyed together through circumstances that undoubtedly tested their relationship in many ways: numerous political campaigns, life in the U.S. Senate, the Vice Presidency, and narrowly losing a Presidential election.  Maybe it is because they endured the trauma of nearly losing a child when their six-year-old son Albert III was struck by a car in 1989.  Maybe it is because of “The Kiss” at the Democratic National Convention in 2000. 

This isn’t about politics.  It’s about a fractured family: a family with four adult children and precious grandchildren.  It’s about an American family.  Remember those?  Not red state and blue state families; just American families.  

Maybe it is because Kim and I have worked through struggles of our own over the course of 22 years of life, marriage, and ministry together.  There was a time when we were told that we just needed to “start thinking about what was next” by people who were prematurely ready to throw in the towel for us and apparently believed that we were beyond help and beyond hope.  I pray that the Gores are getting wiser counsel than that.

Al and Tipper, I never voted for you, but I am definitely praying for you and pulling for you.  I pray that your separation will give you time and space to remember and rekindle the things that caused you to fall in love over 40 years ago.  I pray that your hearts will be healed and drawn back to one another so that you can grow old together and enjoy your grandchildren together.  If anyone tells you that it’s too late for that, they are wrong. 

My mind was drawn this week to the hymn And Can It Be? which was composed by Charles Wesley in 1738.   I’ll let Wesley’s lyrics and a couple of performances of the song speak for themselves.  This arrangement is not the traditional tune to which the hymn has been sung, but one that I first heard on GLAD’s The Acapella Project (1988).

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace!,
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

In the summer of 1995, the Space Shuttle Atlantis made history when it rendezvoused with the orbiting Russian space station Mir.  The event received worldwide media coverage.  The mission, with its delicate docking procedures, proved to be a vital link in the ultimate construction and manning of the International Space Station.  

Shortly after the Atlantis-Mir mission, the Shuttle Discovery began a much less publicized and less closely watched flight.  The Discovery‘s launch came several weeks after it was originally scheduled.  Launch delays are certainly not uncommon at NASA, but it was the cause of this particular delay that was so amusingly unique.  It wasn’t a computer glitch.  It wasn’t a malfunction in the fuel delivery system.  It wasn’t the weather.  It was the result of the havoc that was wreaked by a few members of the family Picidae; it was woodpeckers!

How could woodpeckers ground a vehicle which embodied the culmination of decades of advanced engineering, computer technology, and digital precision?  How is it possible that a few birds could stall the launch schedule of the world’s foremost space agency?  In this nature versus machine, David and Goliath story, the woodpeckers had chipped numerous holes in the insulation which surrounds the Shuttle’s large external fuel tank.  The insulation prevents the super-cooled fuel inside from forming ice on the outer surface of the tank, ice which could break away during lift-off and damage the orbiter.  The holes in the insulation were substantial enough to threaten the safety of the launch.

There is more to this incident than the spectacle of a woodpecker sparring with a mammoth, man-made space bird.  It demonstrates that grand and wondrous plans can sometimes be thwarted by the smallest of opposing forces. 

How many times have you known of a good work or ministry that has been brought to a screeching halt by the quibbles and complaints of a few malcontents?  How often have individuals with abundant talent and great aspirations been dragged down into discouragement and inactivity by trivial, but persistent, contentions and complaints?

We do a disservice to Christ and His church when oil is habitually applied to squeaky wheels within a congregation.  It soothes them only for a brief time and merely reinforces their unjustified sense of influence and control.  It is most often the case that the human wheels making the most noise are not the weight-bearing or pulling wheels, but those which are simply along for the ride.  Contentiousness and its bearers should be prudently dismissed for the benefit and progress of the Body as a whole.

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.  Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife” (Proverbs 26:20-21).

Beware the woodpecker!

While some fields of study frequently lead to cutting-edge discoveries and surprising revelations, other areas of research just seem to validate and confirm what mankind has known for millennia through common sense and shared life experiences.  A few days ago, I learned that a recent study had concluded that (drum roll, please) the physical touch of mothers was vital in contributing to a sense of calm and security in infants.  Although I was previously unaware that a hormone and neurotransmitter called oxytocin was involved in the bonding equation, the conclusions of the study didn’t come as much of a surprise.   There is great power in the human touch.

Even a cursory reading of the Gospels causes one to be struck by the number of times that close, comforting, physical contact played a vital role in the life and ministry of Jesus.  Though eternal and divine, the Word participated fully in the human experience as One who became flesh (John 1:14) and was born of a woman (Galatians 4:4).  From birth, He would have experienced the innate bonding and sense of safety that come from being cradled, nursed, and nurtured by His mother. 

In His public ministry, there were numerous times when Jesus utilized physical touch when it wouldn’t have been essentially necessary to bring about the desired result of healing.  As Creator and “Master of ocean and earth and skies,” Jesus possessed the power to merely speak and sins would be forgiven, diseases would flee, and life would be restored to the dead.  Still, He chose to reach out His hand and touch the leper (Matthew 8:3).  He took Peter’s ailing mother-in-law by the hand (Mark 1:31) and touched the eyes of the blind (Matthew 9:29).  He touched the ears and tongue of the deaf and speech impaired (Mark 7:33) and tenderly took the hand of Jairus’ 12 year-old daughter as He called her departed spirit back into her body (Luke 8:54-55).

The touch of Jesus wasn’t limited to acts of healing and restoration of life.  The God-Man not only conveyed divine power, but also communicated comfort and compassion through His human hands.  As Peter, James, and John lay face-down and terrified at the sound of the Father’s voice on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus reached down and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid” (Matthew 17:5-8).  His hand increased the comfort of His voice in driving away their fear. 

Jesus cradled a child as He taught His disciples about Kingdom standards of greatness and servanthood (Mark 9:33-37).  Indignantly rejecting the protests of His disciples, Jesus took the little ones into His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them (Mark 10:13-16).

The older I get, the less adequate I feel at times in finding the right words to say when people are hurting and confused by life’s sorrows and setbacks.  I’m so grateful that a part of our being so fearfully and wonderfully made by our Father is that the touch of a hand can effectively communicate what our hearts feel but our lips cannot articulate.

A tender embrace; an arm around the shoulder; a touch on the arm; a gentle grasp on a trembling hand.  A balm for the weary; a comfort to troubled souls; a touch that heals.

On March 11, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and the motto “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency.  The court’s decisions came in response to two separate legal challenges by atheist Michael Newdow who claimed that the phrases violate the Constitutional provision for the separation of church and state.  The appeals court disagreed with Newdow’s contention and a lower court decision in his favor.  It was a rare occasion for many conservative Christians to cheer a ruling by the 9th Circuit, a court with a longstanding reputation for political liberalism and judicial activism.

Christians who interpretted the court’s decision as a victory for faith and America’s religious heritage should have looked beyond the bottom line and read the fine print of the judges’ rationale for their ruling.  There’s not much to celebrate.  In the 3-0 decision in favor of retaining “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency, the court cited an earlier opinion by the 9th Circuit in the case of Aronow v. United States (1970) in maintaining that the phrase does not remotely approach the establishment of religion since it is only “ceremonial” and “patriotic” in nature and “has no theological or ritualistic impact.”  In essence, the court’s opinion was that the phrase on U.S. currency is harmless because it really doesn’t mean anything substantive.  You know, we trust in “God” (wink, wink) in a sentimental, inspirational, generic, patriotic sort of way.  Really?  That’s what “God” means?  That’s who “God” is? 

On March 5, 1984, in the case of Lynch v. Donnelly, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the inclusion of a nativity scene in a municipal Christmas display in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.  Chief Justice Burger wrote the majority opinion in the ruling; Justice Brennan authored the dissenting opinion.  In his dissent, Brennan acknowledged that government can’t be completely separated from religious beliefs and practices, especially as they relate to the nation’s history and culture.  He referenced two examples.  “While I remain uncertain about these questions, I would suggest that such practices as the designation of “In God We Trust” as our national motto, or the references to God contained in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag can best be understood, in Dean Rostow’s apt phrase, as a form of “ceremonial deism,” protected from Establishment Clause scrutiny chiefly because they have lost through rote repetition any significant religious content.”  In other words, these two phrases have been said so much and read so much that they no longer have any substantive theological meaning.  They are just quaint features of our national history and identity.  It’s “ceremonial deism,”  that’s all.

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt found himself at the center of a public relations firestorm because he had approved a new design for the $20 gold Double Eagle coins which lacked the motto, “In God We Trust.”  In a letter published by The New York Times, Roosevelt explained that his objection to the motto on coinage wasn’t because he didn’t believe in God, but because he did!  He wrote:

“My own feeling in the matter is due to my very firm conviction that to put such a motto on coins, or to use it in any kindred manner, not only does no good, but does positive harm, and is in fact irreverence, which comes dangerously close to sacrilege.  A beautiful and solemn sentence such as the one in question should be treated and uttered only with that fine reverence which necessarily implies a certain exaltation of spirit… Any use which tends to cheapen it, and, above all, any use which tends to secure its being treated in a spirit of levity, is from every standpoint profoundly to be regretted.”

After defending the inscription of the motto on national monuments, halls of justice, etc., Roosevelt continued:

“But it seems to me eminently unwise to cheapen such a motto by use on coins, just as it would be to cheapen it by use on postage stamps or in advertisements… If Congress alters the law and directs me to replace on the coins the sentence in question, the direction will be immediately put into effect, but I very earnestly trust that the religious sentiment of the country, the spirit of reverence in the country, will prevent any such action being taken.”

Did you get that?  Roosevelt thought that reverent believers should insist that God’s name not be imprinted on coins lest the Name be cheapened, trivialized, profaned, and rendered meaningless, save for sentimentality and superstition.  I think Teddy was right!

Civil religion is a shallow substitute for genuine faith.  It offers us a “ceremonial deity,” a least-common-denominator god who means anything you want him to mean, including nothing.  That is not the God I serve!

For more thoughts on the subject, you can go back and read my post Does God Want His Name on Our Money?      

Upon completion of my undergraduate studies at Lipscomb University, I had the opportunity to work in two-year missions internship in Gympie, Queensland, Australia.  Those years provided invaluable “on-the-job” ministry training that greatly supplemented the academic instruction I had received.  Though my primary purpose for being there was the work of the kingdom of God, it also fulfilled a childhood dream of traveling Down Under.  I had begun to read about Australia when I was ten years old, and I became fascinated with its landscape and unique wildlife.  Nowhere else in the world could you find a platypus, koala, kangaroo, wallaby, wombat, echidna, kookaburra, or Tasmanian devil in their natural habitat.  Deserts, grasslands, mountains, rain forests, and thousands of miles of coastline make up this diverse nation/continent.

Australia’s most striking and magnificent geographical feature is Ayers Rock.  This stone monolith, located near the southern border of the Northern Territory, rises 1,200 feet above a surrounding landscape that is almost entirely flat.  The mystery and impressiveness of Ayers Rock (Uluru) caused it to be considered the most sacred of all sites in the lore of the Aborigines.

Near the end of my work in Gympie, I had the pleasure of taking a two-week Outback trek with a Christian brother, Barry Morgan.  Our primary objective was to reach Ayers Rock.  Traveling by four-wheel-drive, we were able to shorten the distance of the trip by taking several hundred kilometers of dirt roads.  About a week into the trip, we passed through Alice Springs and then made camp that evening after dark, knowing that we were getting close to our destination.  At dawn, we awoke to the sight of the morning sun illuminating the eastern face of the Rock.  After a short drive we reached Uluru, ascended to the top, and spent most of the day exploring its nooks and crannies and enjoying the magnificent view from the top: a dream fulfilled.

On the return trip, and on a particularly dusty stretch of the Plenty Highway, Barry and I were startled by a helicopter that flew over the vehicle from behind at a very low altitude and landed in the road up ahead.  We were surprised to learn that it carried a team of surveyors who had become disoriented while mapping water wells (bores) in the area.  Their problem was that they were only carrying maps of very small sections of land and had lost their sense of where they were in the “big picture.”  After showing them their approximate location on our large-scale map, they recovered their bearings and were off in a cloud of dust.

There are countless individuals in this world who are making their way through life with little sense of where they are or where they are going in the big scheme of things.  They gain whatever direction they possess from minuscule “sectional maps” of life.  Life becomes an endless series of repetitive daily activities.  Their lives are regulated by the cycle of their work schedules and pay periods.  Satan would have them continue living this way, never seeking anything larger than themselves, never questioning, “Is this all there is?”

Our calling and ministry as children of the King and disciples of Jesus is to help awaken precious souls to the world of spiritual reality that lies beyond this earthly facade.  Many of them have already concluded that there must be something more to life and are humble enough to realize that they need direction.  They just need someone to point them toward Jesus.  He is the Way that can lead them Home.

This isn’t so much a criticism as it is an observation.    Have you ever noticed that, when you pray with another person or with a small group of people, everyone typically concludes the offering of petitions and the giving of thanks by verbalizing their affirmation and assent in saying, “Amen!”  Whether kneeling beside someone’s hospital bed, praying with family and friends before a meal, praying in an elders’ meeting, with the ministry staff or in a small group Bible study, everyone seems to have their hearts so in tune and in touch that they feel completely comfortable in audibly offering their conviction that, “Father, this is my prayer, also!  So be it, according to Your will and Your power!  Amen!”  And yet, when those same people are gathered with a significant number of others in the context of a worship assembly, the “Amen” offered by the one publicly leading in prayer is answered by the sound of silence or the faint chirping of a lone cricket.

Amen is the transliteration of a Greek word which is the transliteration of a Hebrew word, all of which essentially mean the same thing.  At the beginning of a statement it means, “surely, of a truth, truly.”  Jesus used the word in a formulaic fashion to introduce many of His teachings:  “Amen (verily, truly, most assuredly), I say to you….”  At the end of a statement, it is an expression of one’s identification with and affirmation of something which had been spoken or read.  “So it is!  So be it!  May it be fulfilled!”  The custom of worshippers offering their “Amen” at the end of a doxology, benediction, or the reading of Scripture is significantly evidenced in the Old Testament, and the practice ultimately passed naturally from the synagogue to the church in the first century.

Paul fully anticipated that Christians in Corinth would voice their “Amen” at the conclusion of the giving of thanks in the assembly (I Cor. 14:16).  That’s why it was essential that one not pray in an uninterpretted tongue; you can’t offer your “Amen” to something that you can’t comprehend.  The practice was still common a hundred years later.  Justin, writing in the mid-second century, notes in his description of Christian worship that when prayers and thanksgivings were offered, “the people assent, saying Amen.”

We serve “the God of Amen” (Is. 65:16).  Our Savior is “the Amen” (Rev. 3:14).  All of the Father’s promises are “Yes” in Jesus Christ, and through Him we speak our “Amen” to the glory of God (II Cor. 1:18-20).

Why do so many Christians refrain from voicing their “Amen” when prayer is offered in our assemblies?  Is it because of an audience mentality and a performance atmosphere in which we sit and observe someone else praying rather than feeling that this is our collective communication with the Father, that this is my prayer?  Sometimes, worship leaders attempt to prime and prompt our response by saying, “And the church said….”  To be honest, this has always struck me as a bit contrived (dare I say, “cheesy”) and reminds me of a parent trying to elicit a “please” or a “thank you” from a reluctant child who ought to know when and how to use those terms.  “Now, what do we say?  Use your words!”  Or, in order to draw a response from the congregation, we use “Amen” as an interrogative which often means no more than, “Am I right, or am I right?” 

“Amen?”  

Sorry, but “Amen” really isn’t a question!  It’s a declaration!  It’s an affirmation!

In Acts 4:31, Luke describes early disciples praying in Jerusalem and “the place where they had gathered together was shaken.”  Wouldn’t it be great if the collective voice of 12, 120, or 1,200 worshippers thundered their “Amen” together in prayer and shook the pews? 

I really don’t understand why we don’t; I just wish we did.  So, I guess I need to retract my opening statement.  This probably does qualify as a criticism.

"Dirty Thunderstorm"; Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland

For most of us, Iceland is a distant and remote place that really doesn’t have much impact on our daily lives and schedules.  I do recall Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meeting in Reykjavik back in 1986, and I have seen Iceland a couple of times from 30,000 feet on flights to northern Europe.  In recent months, Iceland’s financial crisis and the collapse of its government have made the news, but the influence of those events has been much more keenly felt by its European neighbors than by the inhabitants of the rest of the world.   

However, a couple of weeks ago, hundreds of thousands of travelers around the globe were caused to sit up, take notice, and develop an immediate interest in exactly where this country was and how volcanic activity there might affect their travel plans.  A volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier began seriously rumbling in March and then shifted into full-blown eruption mode on April 14.  (Forget trying to say Eyjafjallajokul three times really fast; my hat is off to anyone who can pronounce it even once, slowly!).  Photos from the erupting volcano have been spectacular, including multiple images of a rare phenomenon known as a “dirty thunderstorm.”  Ash and rock fragments in the volcano’s plume collide with ice particles, creating massive amounts of static electricity which is then discharged as lightning.   

While several hundred local residents had to be evacuated because of a torrent of water from the melting glacier, the volcano’s greatest impact was experienced on the European continent, over which a massive cloud of ash had spread.  Volcanic ash has the consistency of talcum powder and has been known to shut down jet engines when encountered in flight.  Airports across Europe were closed; no flights in, no flights out.  “What do you mean my flight has been cancelled?”  “What do you mean you don’t know when you’ll be able to fly again?”  The gall!  Or, de Gaulle, for those who were stranded in the Paris airport!   

Occasionally, events remind us that there are forces at work in this world which are much greater than ourselves; there are things that exist outside the sphere of human control, influence, manipulation, and spin.  You can’t negotiate with an Icelandic volcano.  Controlling interests in them cannot be gained through leveraged buyouts.  They aren’t influenced by opinion polls or negative publicity.  They are impervious to threats of economic sanctions or the use of military force.  They are bigger than spin.       

Politicians, corporate executives, and sometimes even church leaders can successfully manipulate outcomes, control the dissemination of information, and “spin” things to their own advantage and the detriment of others.  I am not suggesting that this ought to happen; just saying that it does.  Such is the nature of earthly power and authority, both secular and religious.    

But, there is a Higher Authority, a Greater Power, who exists above and beyond the reach of human control!     

…The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed… He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. (Psalms 2:1-4)   

But you, why do you judge your brother?  Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt?  For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  For it is written, “As I live,” says the Lord, “every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”  So then each one us will give an account of himself to God.  (Romans 14:10-12)   

God is bigger than spin!  

Mark Knopfler at Fox Theatre, St. Louis, April 22; Yes, we were that close!

Last September, I shared a post about the release of Mark Knopfler’s latest cd and expressed my longstanding admiration for his abilities as a guitarist and songwriter.  I have followed Knopfler’s music from the old Dire Straits days, beginning in the late ’70s, and on through the next three decades as he ventured into solo projects, composed soundtracks for films, and collaborated with an amazingly diverse group of country, rock, blues, Celtic, and folk artists.

When we learned several months ago that Knopfler would be touring the U.S. this spring, Kim and I planned a brief trip around his concert appearance at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis on April 22.  It was a combination anniversary, birthday, musical, romantic getaway-type trip; only one night away from home, but plenty of additional “together time” on the six-hour drive there and back.  We got to see a few sights around town, including the Gateway Arch, but the main attraction was the concert on Thursday night.  My purchase of the tickets last fall through a fan site pre-sale landed us on the second row of the orchestra section, first two seats on the center aisle.  I’ve never had seats like that at a concert before, and it was definitely the right show to get them.  If you are interested in a professional review of the concert, you can read it here, but it got 5 Stars and an enthusiastic two thumbs up from the Pyles family. 

Below are a couple of video clips that demonstrate just a little bit of Knopfler’s seemingly effortless fingerpicking style on both electric and acoustic guitar.  The first is an extended instrumental at the end of a performance of “Sultans of Swing.”  The second clip features a duet with guitar legend Chet Atkins from 1987.  Knopfler and Atkins developed a very close personal and professional relationship and released an album together entitled Neck and Neck (quite clever!) in 1990 which won the pair a couple of Grammys. 

Enjoy the music! 

In a blog post last October entitled Sunday, Saturday, Tuesday I described the exhaustion that many Christians frequently feel at the end of Sundays that start early and end late, leaving them wishing for a day of rest before the start of the work week:

The day starts early with worship and Sunday School, then there is a quick lunch before a succession of activities that can easily run until nearly bedtime:  committee meetings, work groups, training sessions, service projects, evening worship services, small group meetings, and youth activities.  The larger your church, the more susceptible you are to “activity overload.”  Many of us feel pangs of guilt if we ever start to question the rationality or healthiness of such a frenetic start-to-finish pace on Sundays, because all of these activities revolve around good things; needful things; spiritual things.  But, for a people who believe and teach salvation by grace and not by works, we Christians sure do measure a lot of spiritual faithfulness, commitment, and maturity (in ourselves and others) in terms of the number of ministries involved in and the number of organized activities attended.  

As church leaders, we often lament the breakneck pace of our culture and the overcommitment of time that Christian families make between work, school, ballgames, and social events.  Then, we respond by packing as many activities as possible into the one remaining day of the week.  No, I am not calling for an end to the multitude of ministries and good works in which God has called His children to be involved; just asking for some balance and moderation.  With all of the special-emphasis Sundays that churches celebrate, maybe we could observe a periodic “Worship Sunday” in which the church calendar is cleared and a moratorium is declared on all official, organized activities, with the exception of an expanded morning worship assembly lasting an hour and a half or two hours.  No Bible classes (give your hard-working teachers a morning off!).  No fellowship meal.  No small groups.  No evening worship assembly.  Just an hour or two to become “lost in wonder, love, and praise” and then dismiss for the day.

Yesterday was just such a day at the Broken Arrow church.  About three months ago, the staff identified April 25 as the date on which we would celebrate a Day of Worship and Rest, involving a two-hour worship assembly on Sunday morning.  We received the elders’ blessing on keeping the rest of the day entirely free from other activities.  As members called to schedule and secure space for wedding and baby showers and planning sessions for mission trips, VBS, summer camp, etc., the administrative staff simply explained the plans for the day and suggested alternative dates.  Bible class teachers would be given the morning off.   Two shifts of nursery attendants would be needed during the assembly, and Children’s Bible Hour would meet during the second hour following Communion.  Members would be encouraged to devote the remainder of the day to rest, renewal, and family time.

It is amazing how quickly two hours passed yesterday morning.  We were an hour and a half into the service before I even looked at a clock.  Time didn’t seem to be a consideration.  Numerous songs (about 3 times as many as normal time constraints allow for) were offered before the Father’s throne in a sacrifice of praise.  Mike, Rich, Scott, and I each shared “mini-lessons” focused on various aspects of our worship.  We had an extended period of time devoted to sharing in the bread and wine in memory of the Savior’s sacrificial death for our sins.  We closed the assembly by singing “Bind Us Together,” “A Common Love,” and “The Greatest Commands” with united hearts and joined hands.  After the service, members seemed to stay around longer than usual.  With no afternoon or evening activities planned, there really wasn’t a sense of urgency about leaving. 

A Day of Worship and Rest.  Purposeful.  Meaningful.  Refreshing.  Bound to be repeated in the future!