Sunday, March 11, 2007

Better Than Worship

What?! There's actually something better than worship? OK, maybe not. But this comes very close. What "this" am I talking about? It's being able to "hear God's voice", being able to "discern the Lord's leading". It's obeying God's Words when he said "love another another as I have loved you" or "whatever you do to the least of them you do unto me".

I said I will be sharing about our Sunday messages on the study of John. I do not have anything to share from the "Sunday message given by our pastor", but I do have something to share from the "Sunday message whispered by the Holy Spirit"...

Right before Craig (our pastor..we call him by is first name per his request) started teaching, we heard some loud "cry" in the auditorium. Most of the time this kind of "cry" stops, as the parent of the child takes the child our right away.

Before I continue with this story, let me say that this one of my husband and I's pet peeves during service. We feel that parents should be courteous enough that the moment their baby or toddler or pre-schooler starts making a noise in the service, especially during the teaching, they should be taken away from there (we did it for ours). Most of the families let their kids stay at children's church or Sunday School classes, but sometimes parents opt to keep their kids with them...

So...during the first few minutes of Craig's teaching, we kept hearing this child's voice in and out. Sounds like "bickering" (he was bickering with older brother I observed later), sometimes "whimpering", but whatever it was...it was distracting (it was loud enough that everyone in the big auditorium could hear it.)

Finally, I couldn't help it anymore...I stood up, went to the back of the auditorium for find where the "noise" was coming from...

I found out who the child was. At first, I tried "prayer" (Lord, help this child to keep quite)...it worked only for a few seconds, Next, I tried to talk to the child (he actually listened and became quiet for a few seconds more, but only a few :). Finally I had to ask the mom if I can just take her child outside to the playground..that I would be personally responsible for him. The mom agreed and thankfully the child went with me...

I have to be honest that my first thought when I first stood out of my chair was "what's the matter with the parent of this child? Can't they hear he's distracting everyone in the service?" But when I was in the back observing the family...seeing the mom hugging the child hoping he'd keep quite, the Holy Spirit whispered "That mom and dad needs to hear my Word. Go ahead and take care of the child while they sit here in the service".... My heart went out to the mom. I could tell she really wanted to listen to the teaching...she didn't want to miss it....

I tell you, as soon as I obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit to help that mom out by playing with her child out in the playground (even if it means "me, missing the teaching"), I felt tremendous peace and joy. Same kind of peace and joy I feel when I sing and worship...

It turned out that this is this family's FIRST VISIT to our church, and the child was under the weather, they didn't want to leave him in Sunday School...

I had a good time with the little boy outside in the playground, the boy had a good time playing outside instead of being bored inside the auditorium, and the parents (especially the mom) got to listen to the teaching about the Gospel of John, in peace...

I think this was good..a good "Gospel of John" in action (love and serve one another). It's wonderful lesson I learned today :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Bless you Liza
does your church record the sermons?
mine does and so did the church I attended in Akl
might be worth enquiring about that
then you could still listen to the message :)