One of my new roles at our church is head of the Worship Committee. This committee ensures that every part of the worship experience is thought through for each service. Are the bread and juice ready and set out on the altar, is the music playing at the appropriate times, are ushers and greeters available to direct people, and are the paraments and banners hung and displayed in the appropriate colors for the season?
Last night I enlisted the help of my family to get the sanctuary ready for the
Lenten season.
We have long pieces of fabric that drape the sides of the church and it takes time (and going up and down a high ladder several times) to hang it correctly.
It took a while, but we changed all of the colors on the altar to purple, hung the banners, straightened up the choir loft…and I hate to admit it, but I was stressed out and in a terrible mood when I was doing it. I failed to realize that I was doing one of the most important things I could be doing for the Lenten season…I was helping to prepare.
Today I was thinking about John and Peter and how they were sent in to Jerusalem to prepare the Passover Seder for the disciples. They had to get the food, make a sacrifice in the Temple, clean up, set the table….there was much to be done. I am not sure what their attitudes were while they were in the midst of preparing, but I like to think that they were mindful and prayerful, knowing that something amazing was going to take place in that Upper Room.
In what seems to be unimportant to many can be miraculous to others. We can take the times of preparation in all things to glorify God. The time it takes to prepare a meal, to prepare clothes to be laundered, to prepare a presentation for work, to prepare a bath of warm water to bathe a child. All of these moments can be used in prayer…not just speaking the words, but in demonstrating through our actions the importance of each act.
As we enter the Lenten season, remember that this is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. Use these 40 days and nights to prepare your heart to become closer to Christ. Join a Bible Study at church, read a daily devotional, be intentional about your prayers and most importantly work as though you are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).
Today I Am Thankful For:
1. Ring pops
2. Wheelchairs
4. trying a new restaurant
5. a compassionate 1st grade teacher
