Wonderful Worship Experience

We had a wonderful worship experience today at Georgetown First United Church. The chancel choir performed two special numbers and the large hand bell choir played a moving piece. As usual, the sermon was outstanding and the fellowship awesome. The highlight of the service, however, was the baptism of a young father and his small daughter.

The wife and mother, obviously pregnant with her second child, was baptized and joined the church last year while her husband served in Iraq. Now that he's back, the husband/father wanted to join the church. The couple tried to hold their willful and inquisitive young daughter throughout the two baptisms. Things went rather well for the father's ceremony, despite the daughter's activity. When the time came for the daughter's baptism, she fussed and squirmed to get out of her parents' arms. Finally, the parents allowed the little girl to stand on the floor in front of the baptismal font and she behaved very well. The minister realized that the child would pitch a hissey-fit if anyone tried to pick her up for the ceremony.

The minister announced, "Alright, we'll do it her way," and he and the assistant minister knelt on the floor at the child's level and performed the ceremony, which the little girl tolerated quite well. The parents remained standing, probably in a state of high anxiety. Once the post-baptismal prayer was completed, the minister said, "Let's see if she'll let us show her to the congregation." He put the child in his arms without her protesting and carried her up and down the isles of the sanctuary, all the time gently bouncing her up, down, and from side to side. The little girl obviously enjoyed the experience.

After the service, Andrea remarked how the episode illustrated the openness of this congregation and ministerial staff. I thought the same and, also, that the experience provided a modern day example of how Jesus reaches out to people in their particular circumstances to give his listeners precisely what they need to hear in order to come into the Kingdom of God.

I'm thinking specifically about the post-Resurrection experience of Thomas. Many people erroneously believe this episode teaches us not to doubt, i.e., not to be "Doubting Thomases". I think the meaning is much deeper. Jesus provided Thomas with exactly what Thomas needed in order to accept the Resurrection of his Lord and Savior. So what if Thomas acted like an early day scientist by insisting upon hard data? That's what Jesus provided. At least Thomas did actually put his fingers in Jesus' wounds but I suspect Thomas clearly saw them.

Wonderful day!

Blessings to all.