We only have one car, praise the Lord that it's working right now, and on Sundays Seth likes to be at the church at 7:00am so that he can prepare for Kidz Express, our children's program that is very good, in case you were wondering, and I'm not bias at all. Back to being there early, I wouldn't have to be there until 9am or really even 10:30am, if I only went to one service, but because of the car situation Jericho and I head in with Seth at 7am. Sometimes it's tough getting up and getting ready, especially now with a baby, but I actually enjoy being there early and getting to see everything that goes on for those 2 hours before the first service begins. One of my favorite things to do is to sit in on the worship band's dress rehearsal.
This Sunday before the band started practicing the man that was leading worship started to pray over his band members and the service. He said something to the effect of, Lord we come before you, as the priest use to in preparation for a sacrifice, and we cleanse ourselves, prepare our minds and our hearts and may your spirit rest upon us as we prepare for the service today. He also went on to pray for the actual service. As I sat there and listened to this prayer I started to think about all the preparation that goes into a service.
I have told Seth many times, I think almost every Sunday, that I love the fact that Pastor Mike, our head pastor, is always there before us. I don't know if he is there 2 minutes or 2 hours before us, it doesn't matter, what matters is that he takes his position seriously and is the first one at church preparing himself for service. I love it! As a member of Elim Gospel Church I enjoy knowing that my head pastor doesn't just throw something together minutes before service begins; he prepares a message and he prepares himself. To me that shows that not only does he think my time is of value but that his message is also.
So as I sat there and watched all the hustle and bustle of the band practicing, the tech guys working on the lights and slides, the ushers setting out offering buckets, and the many other things that take place. I smile and think this is why I love my church because they prepare for me. Preparation is a major part of success.
2 comments:
Isn't it great being a pastor's wife? I miss the preperation for ministry at times. I think it is a real legacy for our children to see that church is not just a Sunday morning ritual, but it is when we take the time and preperation to bring the Family of God to meet together with God.
Love you all.
I completely get this! I'm a part of our church's Praise Team and we arrive at 7am. It is very humbling to be a part of the preparation of our morning services and to see the love and prayers that go into each service.
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