I saw God

A wonderful thing happened in church on Sunday.  I saw God.  Now I know it sounds a bit strange to say something like that because don’t we always see God in church?  Yes, but… well that’s a conversation for another time.

But here’s the crazy thing: this God-sighting didn’t happen where I expected it to.  It happened at the tail end of Lulu Grace’s baptism.  After having promised to support and pray for her, we welcomed Lulu “into the body of Christ and into the mission we share”.   And then it happened.  Lulu grabbed Joanne’s extended hand and off she went down the center aisle smiling and waving her little princess wave to everyone.  While Joanne was reminding all of us of the great promises that were made to Lulu by God, her parents, and her congregation, Lulu took a dive.  Yup!  Down to the floor she went.  Here’s where I saw God.  No, God didn’t push her or trip her.  As Lulu began to stumble, at least a dozen hands extended out to her to try and cushion her fall.  There was the church in action!  There was God!

Later in the worship service, we heard about Jesus going away and sending an advocate to be with us.  In just six verses of that gospel reading, Jesus extolled his friends to “love” five times.  Not the gushy, emotional, nutritionally empty feeling of love that we have no control over, but the self-sacrificing, agape “I’d die for you” kind of love that we can control and that Jesus poured out for us on the hardwood of an executioner’s cross.  We heard that this advocate is one who pulls up alongside us in “agape” love to be our voice and to accompany us on the journey of life.  Then we heard that to be a spirit-filled church, a community of the Spirit, is to come alongside each other to comfort and encourage as Jesus first did for us in his incarnation.  We were then challenged to become such a Spirit community where we grow in our ability of coming alongside each other in faith and love.

That’s what God’s people do.  Contrary to those who see the church as a “crock”, we come alongside those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; we come alongside those whose courage falters; those whose hearts have been shattered; those who cannot imagine a tomb of death being empty and we become advocates for each other; partners on the journey.

This pulling up alongside in love stuff?  It’s real.  It’s what Jesus first did and what the Spirit, the Advocate, continues to do.  Where you see that, you see God. 

So, Lulu you won’t remember this, but God was with you on Sunday.  I saw it first-hand.  And you know what?  Wherever you go and whenever you fall, get ready for a flurry of hands to lovingly reach out, ready to buffer your fall because that’s what God’s church does.

Your partner in the Spirit,

Pastor Doug