Memorial Day was a special one around here. There was activity all around the church. The Bake Sale was in full swing, the labyrinth garden was abuzz with church members of all ages – weeding, pruning, planting, watering, and cultivating. Several church members came by to watch the parade from a great vantage point, and we had several of our cutest members sitting on the curb – John Akers, Sam Rogers, Maddox Reinhardt, Lilah McNeal, Ellie Williams – prompting extra amounts of candy from the parade participants. There was a lot of work and a lot of laughter.

            It was an apt microcosm of our church.

            We have many opportunities for fellowship here at FCC. We are a group that likes to gather and share meals, stories, and lives. We like to laugh. We are not afraid of hard work or pitching in to make someone’s life easier. We meet in small groups to pray and share the struggles and joys of life with others.

            But one of the best opportunities for fellowship remains worship. That is a time to sing and pray and listen and receive communion from one another; a time to slow down and be still and wait upon God. And, if the truth is told, it is a time to shift the focus from ourselves to God. It is so easy to become the center of our own universe – and not even in a malevolent or selfish way. It’s a simple matter of going on auto pilot: our own schedules, our own preferences, our own family and friends, our own concepts of ‘better’ and ‘not so good’. Worship helps us move beyond that and gives us a True North on our compass, a realignment that is essential for a balanced and thoughtful life. Lois Chaney writes in her book God Is No Fool:

                        I once knew a young man who was searching for God. And I was touched by his search; and I prayed for his search; and I loved his search.

                        He read a lot of books. He thought and thought about their ideas. He talked to many people, in pairs and in groups; they matched their minds with his and they furthered his search. He walked and sought God in the rain. He climbed and sought God on the mountain. He closed himself off from the world and sought God in his soul.

                        He would describe his searchings and travel for truth. He would explain how he had meticulously and prayerfully sorted, rejected, and accepted.

                        As the years went on, I changed from anticipating the recountings of his searches to simply receiving them; to being bored with them; to avoiding them; and him. You see, he had fallen in love with his search.

                        God just isn’t that hard to find.

Around here, Sunday mornings are a tense time, especially for the staff.  Worship starts at 10.45, and often 10.40 rolls around with less than 25 or 30 people in the pews.  So there is momentary panic - "where IS everyone?  What will we do?  Are there enough deacons?".  And then I walk onto the chancel at 10.45 and.....the place is full. Everyone will stay around and talk AFTER church, but before can be spooky.
     Sometimes I wish everyone who comes on Sunday mornings could be a fly on the wall around here during the week.  Roger spends probably 5-6 hours a week, editing our weekly broadcast and making sure lyrics and scripture are added.  Diana spends time working on choosing appropriate music for each service, planning ahead of time so that musicians can have enough rehearsal.  The bell choir meets weekly.  Scripts are written for the liturgists.  Communion is prepared and cleaned up.  Darrin makes sure the building and grounds look good.  Volunteers weed and work with the labyrinth garden.  Elves clean the kitchen. Groups meet nightly for study, meditation, prayer, and fellowship. Yvonne makes the paraments.  Leon and Alana work hard on Sunday School (which reminds me - Sunday School starts at 9.45; why don't you check it out?). Children's church volunteers receive their curriculum and start preparing for the next week.
     Church doesn't just happen.  People show up daily to prepare for the Spirit to work within each service.  Sometime soon - show up at 9.45.  Or if not, at least try 10.30.  Notice what is around you, and what has been done to make each service a special one.  There might even be something you could do.......
    

I once saw a car with a bumper sticker on the back which read “Stop Following Me”.  There are times in my life when I wish I could WEAR a bumper sticker that says “Stop Following Me”.

There was that moment when I uttered a very inappropriate word in front of  Younger Son when he was 2.  He repeated it upon many an occasion, including a Thanksgiving meal at his grandparents.  There was that time when I ‘bent’ a traffic law with two sets of blue eyes watching me from car seats.

“Stop Following Me”.  Whether we like it or not – people are following us. They notice our actions and our words.  Is it fair?  Probably not...But when I misspoke, and when I ran that orange light – I knew I was wrong.  I just didn’t want to suffer any consequences.

Have you ever heard that before?  The seven last words of the church are  “We’ve never done it that way before”.  Many of us have a strong allergic reaction to change -  of any kind.  And certainly change for the sake of change is not always good, but sometimes it is essential.  Those of us who try to live a gospel kind of life know that Jesus is always asking us to go into unfamiliar territory, to be with unknown folks, to think in new ways.  Following the gospel means leaving our comfort zones.

Why is that?  All too many of us are captives; we are captives to fear, uncertainty, discord.  The opposite of live is not hatred; it’s fear.  “Perfect love casts out fear”.  Nothing is as scary as scared people – for while love seeks the truth, fear seeks safety.

Take a risk this week, and do something different – and loving – even if it’s scary.