Regular Wednesday night suppers at the church resumed tonight. The grandchildren love to go and we love to go to be with them. We don't go for the food, but for the fellowship and to be around people of all ages. We got there early tonight and as soon as I turned off the motor Tom said he wasn't sure he could stay. It went downhill from there so I got take out boxes and we brought our supper home. It seems to get harder to make plans to do things that we have always taken for granted. The nervousness used to happen occasionally, but the episodes have gotten more numerous and we're trying to adjust and cope.

One of my readers commented on my last blog and just that one comment affirmed my belief that there needs to be informed and considerate conversation about worship for all ages. How we worship depends on our denominational affiliation, the part of the country where we live, how or if we worshiped growing up, the size of the church, culture, the preferences of those planning worship. There are probably other factors, but these come to mind now. Living in California broadened and enriched worship for me. I sincerely hope that the prejudices I took with me when we moved there are among the stuff we left behind.

The most meaningful definition for worship I've heard is : Worship is the adoration of God by the people of God. Pretty simple, isn't it? It doesn't say how we are to adore God. The definition is not limited or limiting. If I prefer organ music and you prefer praise bands, that's okay as long as what we offer is excellent. It is our motive, our heart that matters. I pray that I will never be so traditional that tradition is more important than God who alone is worthy of all worship.

I think we need to be careful lest we put all the blame on worship style when the church is called irrelevant. Though worship is central, church also includes making disciples, growing in faith, reaching out in the name of Jesus to all people. As older Christians I believe we need to ask ourselves if making disciples is a priority; are we growing in our faith and helping younger ones grow in theirs; and do we reach out in the name of Jesus to all people or only to those who look like us, dress like us or were born in the same decade that we were? After all, we are supposedly wiser and have more time to invest in the lives of others.

For those of you younger readers out there I urge you to give the church a chance or more to the point, give the Lord of the Church a chance. And to those of you who are older I encourage you to reach out in the name of Jesus to all those who are searching.

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret