Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Psalm 118:24
It's not like we need a special reason to rejoice on Sundays - every Sabbath is special in its own right. But yesterday had to set some kind of record at our church for "Most-stuff-crammed-into-one-Sunday." It was hectic, it was wild, but it was certainly all good. Here's a list of the all the special things that took place at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, October 4:
- Worldwide Communion Sunday - celebrating the Lord's Supper with Christians all around the world;
- Hunger & Hope offering - our Cents-a-Bility and food bank offerings that takes place on the first Sunday of the month;
- Fall Discipleship Dedication Sunday - the concluding Sunday of our church's Stewardship ministry and our 15+ Plan;
- Faith In Action Sunday - something we started a few years ago to recognize and thank those local and international agencies and missions that our church supports with our benevolence funds.
- Special Music - our wonderful chancel choir was accompanied by a lovely brass quintet;
- Youth Mission Trip Lunch - where our church gathers for fellowship around the table and the youth group gets to share some of the stories and pictures of their past summer mission trip.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the visit of a certain Vice-Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as well. I've already blogged about Byron Wade, who was a guest blogger here back in the summer (if you missed it you can find our back story here and his blog post here). So I'll spare you all the details. Suffice to say this was not only a wonderful experience for the church, but a personal joy for me too.
We maxed out Byron's time with us. We had a crowd of about 60 youth and adults gather in the church's Fellowship Hall for the Sunday school hour to hear Byron tell us about his first year as vice-moderator. One of the neat things about this time was to hear all the stories of other churches, other Presbyterians that Byron has met criss-crossing the country, and realize that our little church on the corner of Church and Main Streets is not a solo affair. We are, thankfully, part of something much bigger than ourselves. Byron allowed time for folks to ask questions - and boy, did he get them, from same-sex marriage to how our denomination is using social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs) to keep the church informed. Like a seasoned pro, Byron addressed every one of them with a level of sincerity and compassion - and, most of all, a love for the church. As we wrapped up this time together we were pleased to present Byron with a few tokens of our appreciation (for two of them, see the picture at the end of the blog).
Byron and I led worship together later that morning. Byron preached an an amazing sermon titled What Is Your Choice? (which you can listen to, along with the rest of the service, here). It's been a number of years since I've heard Byron preach but I quickly remembered how eloquent, forceful and passionate he can be when he steps behind the pulpit. Fantastic message for all to hear! It was also a treat to celebrate the Sacrament of Communion together - using liturgy that Byron himself had written for our denomination's Peacemaking Program.
The conclusion of worship led us down to the Fellowship Hall and all the fixings of a baked potato bar and homemade desserts. The place was packed as we enjoyed a meal together and heard about the youth summer mission trip. Throughout it all, Byron was incredibly gracious with his time, shaking hands and engaging folks in conversation as if he'd known them for years. I don't know exactly when Byron hit the road south to return home to Raleigh, but I know it was long after everyone else had "left the building." Without question, Byron is a fantastic ambassador for our denomination. Of course, I'm slightly biased ;-)
It took us 151 years to get a moderator or vice moderator (sitting or past) to come to our church, and I sure hope it won't take another 151 for it to happen again. Byron's visit was the highlight of a very busy and very wonderful Sunday in the life of our church - and for that we give thanks! We appreciate Byron making the visit to Mayberry as he continues "nipping it in the bud" for the Presbyterian church!
(note: you can't see it, but it's a "Mayberry" hat he's wearing. We weren't going to send him home empty-handed!)
BYRON LINKS FOR YOU: Byron's Blog Byron on Twitter
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