Instead of meeting for small groups (Sunday School), and our normal morning worship services, everyone had signed up for various community projects...and we went out to "Be The Church."
Every year, our church does a thing called "Dorm Storm." We help the Freshmen, at one of the 3 universities in our town, move into their dorms. They pull up in their vehicles, and church members unload everything, and then take it all up to their dorm rooms.
It's pretty cool...if you're a Freshman. Or the parents of a Freshman. Can you say refrigerator to the third floor?
Since it was pouring down rain, I opted to stay home with Joshua...which turned out to be a good thing, since he about brains himself walking on wet floors here at home. He was a little disappointed, because he loves to feel like he's a helper, but at lunch, he said a simple and profound thing: "we should 'be the church' (and he used the air quotes) wherever we go...and not just on Sundays...and not only when we have a special t-shirt."
Yep.
My big man said that.
Jim and Clark did go to Dorm Storm. They've done it the past few years.
Our church had several other opportunities for community service on Sunday morning, and 400 of our members participated.
Then, we all met at the auditorium on the college campus, and had one big evening service. They provided shuttle service from our church to the campus, but Jim decided to drive. He let us off at the door, and then parked back by the soccer fields, and walked to the auditorium.
No one in our family wanted to bring their Bibles, because it was raining, and we didn't want them to get wet...so when the pastor started his message, we all got out our phones.
Jim was aggravated at himself for leaving his "readers" in the car, but he was not about to walk back there and get them. Instead, he asked Joshua if he could borrow his glasses...to find the Bible app on his phone, and then get to the right chapter and verse.
After he found it, he gave Joshua's glasses back to him. He was showing Joshua the HUGE font he'd chosen for his Bible app, and they were both quietly snickering about how big the words were.
What Jim did NOT realize
We like to cause a ruckus wherever we go.
It was particularly funny, because JIM.
And also, because, if a phone goes off in church, Jim is THE FIRST one to spin his head around like the girl from The Exorcist movies...to see who is the offender.
*I haven't actually SEEN the Exorcist movie...just the previews. And all the memes.
All of this to say that Jim is always very conscientious about turning off his phone.
(ahem)
It reminds me of the time years ago...probably 12-plus years ago...we were at church. It was the middle of the offertory prayer (the prayer said before the offerings were taken up), when everyone heard the familiar sound of "Smoke on the Water." Jim had set it as his ring-tone, and had forgotten to turn his phone off during church.
Still cracks me up every time I think about it.
"There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord." 1 Corinthians 12:5
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