Frost on the TOAD!

Sunday morning at Hopewell Church.

FROST on the TOAD!  In South Carolina?  There was today, at least in the Upcountry. A sheen of ice on TOAD’s roof was all we saw, but it was FROST.  And the furnace ran through the night for the first time. The temp outside was in the mid to low thirties. Folks at church said this is rare; usually waiting till mid November to frost at all.

Sunday School first.  Pastor Jim told us it is supposed to start at 9:15 but folks arrive closer to 9:30.  That’s what happened today but it was fine. More time to meet new friends. By 9:30 a wonderful now retired pastor who worships at Hopewell taught the lesson out of an interesting lectionary study ( I WISH I could remember your name!!! L  ).

By 10:00 one student was off preparing communion elements. By 10:05 another two were off to choir practice and we could hear the wonderful praise music coming from the praise team ( ‘Days of Elijah’ brought back happy HOPE Church memories). So by the time we ended the class there were four of us. AMEN!

10:30 is worship time. Pastor Jim asked me to offer the pastoral prayer.  And when he closed the service for communion he called me forward to assist as one of four servers. 

One of the real personal blessings for me in spending time to get to know some of these church pastors and parishioners well are these times when they trust me with an element of the class or service.  And today, to stand before a church and lead all in prayer was simply a joy.

Pastor Jim is in the midst of a series of messages on ‘Hard Questions’. Today’s was a mix of ‘What happens when the world ends’ (don’t waste your money on the newest ‘Left Behind’ movie starring Nicolas Cage) and ‘What happens when you die’.

I loved Jim’s answer to each as it would surely have been mine: I don’t know.  The Bible has several specific answers to both questions and some of us Christians spend most of our lives arguing together for this or that detail.

Jim’s primary takeaway was ‘Don’t miss the forest for the trees’.  Don’t focus on the unimportant details when the most important needs your attention. And what is unimportant? How about end time prophecy.  Who cares?  Jesus didn’t.  He told His disciples to get their head in the game and out of the ‘rapture closet’. Souls need saving.  People need to meet 

                                                                        Jesus!

And what is most important?  Jesus said it.  Love God, and your neighbor.  And everyone, including the ISIS ‘enemy’ in Syria, IS your neighbor. Great message Jim!

Tonight we are sleeping next to a Prayer Walk at Lebanon UMC in Eastover, SC. Horse country, the US Army’s Fort Jackson, and the Congaree National Park surrounds us.  Should be a quiet and beautiful day tomorrow.

Now if only I hadn’t left my diesel fuel tank cap at the last Flying J truck stop we filled at!  Till we get one tomorrow or Tuesday, thank you Jesus for duct tape.

-Ken