Son of the Congregation

At the end of the Sunday morning service, there was a blessing for Adam and his wife Emily. They moved to Indiana the next day for Adam to begin seminary. That, in itself, was special, but there was more to it. Adam grew up in our church, and his dad was the pastor back then. Pastor N moved away to serve other churches, but Adam stayed. After college he worked in the area and was very active in the church. He did many things, but I saw him running the sound board for our service and playing his marimba with all the hymns. His dad was invited to do the blessing. What a moving address it was! As the young couple stood before the congregation, Pastor N. recounted high points of Adam’s life and how God led him toward seminary. He said it was good Adam waited until he was sure that was what God was calling him for. Pastor N. was also 33 years old when he went to seminary.

People were invited to greet them at the front of the church. I took a bathroom break, and when I came back, only a few were there. Shirley, a grandmother who had been especially close to Adam, walked up. She was like a magnet. In a few seconds, everyone moved into a circle, drawn by an invisible force. They prayed softly, so low that I couldn’t hear them. It seemed like an impromptu laying on of hands in the Biblical sense. Since it was moving for me, I can only imagine what it was like for Adam, Emily, and Pastor N.

The amusing part was going on concurrently. Shirley’s grandchildren took full advantage of no supervision and were testing the acoustics loudly. My lovely friend Susan, a former teacher, rescued the situation. She didn’t shush the children, but sat down and quietly chatted with them. I thought that summed up Christian living. Some are called away from the world to pray, and others deal with practical problems in the world. Both are necessary. Both are blessings to others.

God bless you, Emily and Adam.