As I mentioned in the invitation time at the close of worship on Jan. 23, I see worship as a time where Christians gather to rejoice, remember and recharge. Each day brings new challenges to life and new difficulties that make it a bit more difficult to see where God is working all around and within us in life. My challenge as a worship leader is to provide you with an opportunity to be deliberate and pay attention to where God is working in life around you. Being physically in church is a small part of our lives as Christians. We are in worship for a little over an hour of our very busy and full lives. There are 168 hours in a week. Most of us are in the church building for 2-3 of those hours at the most. Which means that the majority of our Christian living takes place “out there” in the “world.” How we pay attention to the work of God that going on around us in the 166 hours each week that we are not in church is crucial to our development as Christians. I would like to challenge each of you to bring in a rock on Sundays in Epiphany to add to the road. That rock could have a name or event or place written on it or it can simply be a rock you found in a parking lot or in your back yard. The importance of the rock is that it will represent a time during the week when you noticed and acknowledged that the power of God was at work in a situation or place where you found yourself. It can also represent an event, place or person that you are praying for will begin to acknowledge and work with the power of God in this life. Rocks can be any size, from tiny to large, but if you bring in a BIG rock please plan to place it on the section of the road that is on the stage or simply at the foot of the Christ Candle. Remember that being in worship each Sunday is a time to rejoice in what God has done over the past week, to remember the large story of redemption that brings us the hope in life and to recharge our connection to God and other Christians so that we can be ready to partner with God in God’s good work in the world each week. My prayer is that you leave worship each week with your vision a bit more tuned to seeing and responding to God’s redemptive work in the world. Remember to bring a rock with you this Sunday to add to the road.
Judy
