I often relate stories from my preschool and elementary kids in my Sunday School class (aka "Super Kids") who keep me humble, on my toes and delight me with their insightful and ready answers. Yesterday I had taught a class of three very active preschool boys the crossing of the Jordan River (complete with costumes and enacting the parting of the water in a plastic swimming pool and carrying the large stones from the dry "riverbed") during the worship session and then rushed in to teach my school-age boys and girls.
I began by reviewing the various names for God we'd been studying and how he reveals himself to be that. We had spent our last Super Thursday doing our service project -- and I wanted them to have a deeper understanding of what it means to "serve the Lord" and see the connection. I asked the question, What does it mean to be a servant?" Precocious Pete, I referred to him in an earlier post) a first grader who is always working up an answer to any question excitedly waved his hand and said, "it's like being a waitress and not getting to sit down or get any money."
I continued, "so let's give an example -- if the Master or Lord that we're serving needs something to drink, despite how tired we are, we" . . . to this, another quipped, "We get him a beer." At this point my co-teacher covers her mouth to keep from laughing out loud and I try to bring the class back from the bottle and suggest Koolaid or something a little less intoxicating.
I went on to explain, that God is not a selfish Lord who makes us jump through hoops or do things just to make us squirm, but what he asks of us as servants is good for us and for other people. This was reiterated in my quiet time this morning in
the book I am reading which had me journal the thoughts of Psalm 40 -- I've included it because I think it best described this loving relationship of our LORD to us HIS Servants.
Psalm 40
A David Psalm
1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn't slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God.
4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"
ignore what the world worships;
The world's a huge stockpile
of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
comes close to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
account for you.
6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
that's not what you're after.
Being religious, acting pious—
that's not what you're asking for.
You've opened my ears
so I can listen.
7-8 So, I answered, "I'm coming.
I read in your word what you wrote about me,
And' I'm coming to the party you're throwing
for me."
That's when God's Word entered my life,
became part of my very being.
No comments:
Post a Comment