Did you know a group of kittens is called a clutter? It’s a gaggle of geese, an exaltation of lark, a flamboyance of flamingo. You have a parliament when you get owls or rooks to gather, crocodiles congregate. When male dolphins get together for cigars, it’s called an alliance but female dolphins party. Kris and I looked these up on the internet when we heard someone on tv ask what you called a group of ape - the answer? A shrewdness. I knew from the title of a novel it’s an unkindness of raven. Your kids would like to know when they see a slimy bunch in the bucket for fishing, it’s a squirm of worm. When mice hold a conference, it’s only for mischief. We all love a kaleidoscope of butterfly, hate the smack of jellyfish and sigh over the loveliness of ladybug. Have you seen a piteousness of dove, a dropping of pigeon, a parade of penguin, an ostentation of peafowl, a richness of marten, a murder of magpie, a convocation of eagle (of course), a ballet of swan, a quarrel of sparrow, a siege of crane, a charm of hummingbird, a paddling of mallard and my personal favorite, a darling of robin.
I saw Shannon and Rob Pifer walking up to church, Rob in the lead with the little one in his arms, then Shannon, then the other four in a row behind her like ducklings. They looked so orderly and yet fun. I wonder what Shannon had to do to get her gaggle, her parade together that morning. When we had our five all at home - a 13 year old, a 12 year old, a 9 year old, a five year old and a babe in arms, we might have been labeled a disarray of Brauns. But I needed to get my prickle of porcupines out the door and into the door of the church every Sunday.
Wasn’t yesterday wonderful? The exposition of 1 Corinthians 10 and the challenges to avoid attributing spiritual realities to ritual activity, particularly as we took communion. The sorrow of facing down our sin and the joy of knowing the blood of Christ has cleansed us. The fellowship at the altar of communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I love seeing your faces as you go forward for communion and hearing your voices as you praise our God. Did you take seriously the admonition to avoid casual irreverence in your approach to worship? I like what David said in 1 Chronicles 21:24, “I will not take for the Lord what is yours nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” It may seem trivial to you, the effort expended week after week to make sure you and yours are in attendance before the Lord but God doesn’t regard your efforts as trivial. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5: “When you are assembled and my spirit is present, with the power of the Lord Jesus…” The power of the Lord Jesus is there, in that place. It’s worth every bit of effort. Let’s join in encouraging one another - let us know how you make gathering on Sunday morning and for your fellowship groups a priority. When do you start preparing? How do you prepare physically? Spiritually? Mentally?
And all the peeps said?
5 comments:
what about pastors? how about a 'pious'? a pious of pastors.
too bad 'murder' was taken for magpies.
a 'murder' of ministers. sounds cool.
Susan, thank you for posting about this subject. I appreciate your encouraging reminder of the great blessing it is to the whole family to make the effort of getting everyone to church. I definitely concur and got to experience it first hand on Sunday when for the first time ever, we made it to church on time. It really was worth the effort.
Honestly, I have not always had that perspective about Sunday mornings and it can become a drudgery. I also was really convicted by the sermon on Sunday about casual irreverence. I am starting to realize that my unwillingness to be diligent in my preparations for worship on Sunday is a form of casual irreverence. Of course, I do have a great excuse for being late (4 little ones, one a newborn), but I would often use it as a crutch and not be as proactive as possible. I think about the some of the great scripture verses in Hebrews 12:1-4: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."
Wow, what a encouragement and an admonishment. Thankfully, there has been no shedding of blood yet on a Sunday morning. And in this light, my struggles in getting little ones to church become not a struggle, but such a great blessing. For really what greater joy do we have than to bring to Jesus (who we love and owe all things, who sends us his Spirit to help us) our little ones who we love and desire to see grow in godliness and faith.
Praising God for my precious clutter and his high calling,
Tori
Susan, thank you for posting about this subject. I appreciate your encouraging reminder of the great blessing it is to the whole family to make the effort of getting everyone to church. I definitely concur and got to experience it first hand on Sunday when for the first time ever, we made it to church on time. It really was worth the effort.
Honestly, I have not always had that perspective about Sunday mornings and it can become a drudgery. I also was really convicted by the sermon on Sunday about casual irreverence. I am starting to realize that my unwillingness to be diligent in my preparations for worship on Sunday is a form of casual irreverence. Of course, I do have a great excuse for being late (4 little ones, one a newborn), but I would often use it as a crutch and not be as proactive as possible. I think about the some of the great scripture verses in Hebrews 12:1-4: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."
Wow, what a encouragement and an admonishment. Thankfully, there has been no shedding of blood yet on a Sunday morning. And in this light, my struggles in getting little ones to church become not a struggle, but such a great blessing. For really what greater joy do we have than to bring to Jesus (who we love and owe all things, who sends us his Spirit to help us) our little ones who we love and desire to see grow in godliness and faith.
Praising God for my precious clutter and his high calling,
Tori
I may be able to get the "ducklings" fed and dressed and looking cute on Sunday mornings, but I do nothing to prepare them, or myself if I'm being honest, spiritually for worship. I would love your ideas, some realistic, do-able things to do with little ones to prepare their hearts for worship. Incidentally, have you been as moved by the last 2 services as we have? It's been so amazing to hear the word preached in spirit and truth, and then to have that flow into a sweet and powerful time of worship. I haven't experienced worship like that in the 3+ years I've been at 4Oaks...
Hi Susan, I finally found your blog and am already blessed by it. I am a week late but am so encouraged by your and Tori's comments. For me the challenge was not so much Sunday mornings, but last Spring, as I was pregnant and our life went through an overly busy season, I came to approach FG and getting the three kids there almost as drudgery rather than seeing the tremendous blessing God had for us there. It seemed like it would be so much nicer to have a babysitter come on Sunday nights and leave the kids at home. This is what I thought of this summer when you said something about getting our kids to church whenever the doors were open, so that they might witness and experience the worship and fellowship and mutual care and sanctification of the body of Christ. I also appreciated Tori's transparency in sharing that this has been a struggle for her too, though what an awesome scripture to put it all in perspective. Good stuff, and good exhortation to always remind us of what a blessing and high calling our work at home is. Thank you.
Beth Kinnon
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