I love Sundays at First Baptist Church. I think it begins with the anticipation of seeing all the people. As the kids and their parents start arriving for Sunday School I get excited. They are mostly pretty excited to be here. Once the opening exercises begin we get to sing all the kids songs that are so fun. Yesterday we sang the Butterfly Song and Jesus Loves Me. Every once in a while I try to sneak them into worship but I am told that these are kids songs. I love them just the same.
We are watching the Rob Bell series in my Senior High Class. I think the kids like it but they aren't a very talkative group. Of course it probably hurts that I fill the void. Yesterday we saw the segment titled Sunday. It talked about the fact that God wants to do is establish an intimate relationship with us but we hinder that sometimes by getting hung up on rituals and rules.
The Sunday School hour goes by pretty quickly. Then it is time for worship. We've been averaging about 95 people a week. I usually walk through the sanctuary early on Sunday mornings and pray for the people who will be there. After twenty five years in the pulpit, you get to know about where people sit each week. A lot of people settle into a pew and stay there for years. Others move around a bit. I always think that moving around gives you a little bit of perspective. But then again, I shouldn't talk because I am the ultimate creature of habit.
If I get a chance I like to greet some people before worship. It is harder during the year because I run from Sunday School to choir warm up and get back upstairs just before we process down the aisle. I still do it if I can.
I think we have a good choir. We lost a few people this past year but we still do a pretty good job. Our voices come together to give a good sound. I tell them all the time that I look at them as a partner in leading the worship service each week.
Yesterday Lee McFalls was supposed to be our worship assistant. He called in at 8:00 a.m. saying that his wife, Hillary, was having contractions and they needed to go to the hospital. It turns out that Hillary delivered twin boys at just after 11:30 p.m.. Cameron and Logan arrived about five weeks early but both of them were healthy and mom came through it OK.
I've been preaching a series of sermons on the Beatitudes and using the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 - 7 as the context for them. Yesterday we talked about mercy. The message was well received. I've been excited by this series and fur of the five sermons have made my A list. I'll post the video of yesterday's sermon in the blog here tomorrow and you can judge for yourselves.
Sundays have been busy in the last month. Last week I participated in the Installation service of Willis McCaw at First Baptist Middletown. The week before I was down in Mystic at Union Baptist church participating in the installation service for Associate Pastor Rob James. Yesterday I had the afternoon free but took a little time to set up for our new, eight week video series with Rob Bell.
We had six of us show up for the initial session. It was titled Trees and in the video Rob talked about the fact that many Christians look at the Genesis story and the Revelation Story and live life looking forward to the new heaven and new earth. Believing in Christ becomes a
ticket to heaven. Yet he pointed out that this way of thinking doesn't speak to the here and now. Bell points out that what we do here is important. Jesus focused on how we should live, how we should treat others, how we should respect the earth and give God glory. Some good discussion followed. Next week we will be back at it again.If I missed you this past week, I hope you will join us next week. I look forward to seeing you. God bless. Have a great week!
Cal
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