Let's Go To Church!

She was petite and sort of frail looking, very spunky. Her language was stern and at times overwhelming. As we all sit there quietly waiting for her to enter, there she goes dashing in, very excited, filled with great ideas about the new uniforms for the Junior Usher Board.

I could not have been any more than 15 years of age. We were all adolescents. This little feisty lady was the President of the Junior Usher Board in my hometown church. I had given my life to the Lord at the tender age of 11, not knowing what to expect in a Sunday service, filled with many emotions, only to discover a new world of order and construction in the kingdom of God.

The President of the Junior Usher Board was a feisty little woman. Most of us were afraid of her. She would take very quick steps and clap her hands together when she entered a room for order and control and believe me, she got all of our undivided attention. I would ponder and wonder why was she so intense and abrupt in her approach to us. We were only adolescents, between the ages of 12 and 16. Who could take such strong demeanor from anyone?

I would stare immensely at her statue with my feet quivering as we discussed the new colors for our uniforms. She would ask for new ideas and we gave them to her and then she asked, “what colors would you like for the uniforms?” In return, we gave her our ideas for the colors of our new uniforms. She reminded us that the colors had to be something that the young men could wear, as well as the young ladies. We all decided that the colors would be burgundy and gold. The young ladies' uniform would be a burgundy vest and skirt with a gold blouse and the young men would be black slacks with matching gold and burgundy neckties and shirts. That was the result of many long afternoon meetings.

The next step were our measurements taken from the seamstress to idea the perfect fit uniform for everyone. There it was, many debates, stern talks about a simple uniform, I thought to myself. As we waited for our new uniforms to be completed, we were anxious to see them. I would think to myself, what does this have to do with Jesus and me coming to church? Why can’t I just sit here with the rest of the congregation. Our parents insisted that we be active in our local church. I could not understand, at the age of 15, why so much trouble for a uniform, and why I had to go to practice once a week just to stand at a door and greet everyone with a smile. These things puzzled me in my youth. As an adolescent, many things are running in your mind. I thought myself, “I would rather be riding my yellow, 10- speed bicycle than to go to another usher board meeting.

Every day after school when I finished my homework I would go for a ride in my shiny, new, yellow, 10-speed bicycle that I got as a Christmas gift from my parents. It would be the joy of my day. I would ride to a desolate place in my community that was called the Sandhill: mountains and mountains of sand, and behind those mountains was the ocean. Oh, how I looked forward to this every day. My brother and my sister, with their own bicycles, would ride down to the Sandhill (which we nicknamed), just to look at the ocean, which was behind the Sandhill. The Sandhill was very large and it was masked with sand, which made it challenging because there was never a grip, so we had to put devices in the sand to climb up the hill. We were finally able to climb to the top of this large Sandhill. It took some time, but with all of our little brains working together, we got to the top. We would return back home, racing before dark fell. Me, riding on my new, yellow, 10-speed bicycle was something to behold. My brother and my sister both wanted to ride the new bicycle, but my sister was too small for this large mechanical machine. My brother could definitely master the speed of this new bicycle, but I was the oldest, that's why I got the largest bike. Oh, it was so beautiful: a bright canary yellow! Therefore, going to an afternoon usher board meeting once a week, I did not look forward to that.

There we were in our next meeting, the little feisty woman, President of the Junior Usher Board said that our uniforms were back and when she showed them to us we all marveled at the beauty of these new uniforms: absolutely stunning. We wore them that Sunday with our new usher badges! I never felt so proud in my life! We were all so proud and the congregation wooed over us and batted their eyes and nodded their heads with approval. It was a marvelous thing! I came to realize later that all this preparation taught us many things for our future that God had destined for us: patience.

God moves ever so lovely in our patience. Patience is defined, the ability to wait or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining, or becoming annoyed. God had preordained each and every one of us in the Junior Usher Board to go through this waiting task. He put a stern instructor in our midst to teach us about order and structure. This, however, taught us many principles in life. Our Father God in heaven knew there would be times that we would have to wait on many promises from Him and mankind (all people). How many of you are waiting on something this very instant? Most of us are, even if we are not Christians. Patience is something we practice every day, from waiting in the doctor’s office, supermarket lines, waiting for your turn in the line to get on a train, airport, waiting in traffic to go to work, home, or even errands. Waiting for the roast to cook, or the laundry to finish, wait, wait, wait, it’s all patience, God insist it!

It is ordained by God for us to wait every day. He will push the pause button on our lives just when we get too busy. We are only humans, we have to slow down. God prophesied by his prophet, King David, that we must slow down when life takes us in the fast lane. God makes us to lie down in beautiful green pastures, spiritually. This is all done by his Holy Spirit. Our heavenly Father does not want us to be burned out. If you are doing a thousand things at once, you can know for certain that God will slow you down at a traffic light, put a hold on a major business deal that you’ve been waiting for, or a job interview. He will push the pause button to slow you down and make you lie down in green pastures to rest. It is here where he meets you and restores your soul. It is his way.

The main pause button that God pushes on all Christians is going to church. Awe! Oh yes, beloved, we can never escape that factor. It is the church that originally taught us our principles: the principles that we have today, whether you're singing on the choir, musicians, trustees, ushers, secretaries, or a lay member. Whatever there is to do in God’s house, it all causes you to slow down, be patient, and come together as a family in God’s house, put together by perseverance, hard work for a beautiful, blended, Sunday morning service. In our services we are still well behaved and patient for the listening of God’s word through his servants: the pastors. There is no greater patience than going to church. It lowers your blood pressure, calms all of your fears and anxiety, the troubles seem to disappear, you are spiritually rejuvenated and restored, and once again God restores your soul for the next week ahead and you’re able to take on anything in Jesus name. All of your Goliaths will fall because you have had fellowship with Jesus and the brethren. You don’t have to say or do anything. That’s the word of God!

You will now be equipped to be patient in the most difficult situations in the world. And you will have tremendous strength in all adversities all because you learn patience through Jesus Christ in your church in your early years or life lessons. God taught me patience when my sister and my brother would ride down to the Sandhill. This was outside of the church, but yet it was a life lesson. Everyone does not go to church, but God will still meet you and teach you principles of the kingdom if you are a Christian. It took many attempts for us to climb to the top of that Sandhill and patience was birthed, even in our leisure.

Let us all come together every Sunday, all men: doctors, lawyers, physicists, mechanics, plumbers, presidents, kings, and even ministers who are not preaching. Rich, poor, small, great. Let us all unite together once a week, to worship our God, our Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. Come, and let’s go to church! Amen.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake” (PSALM 23:2-3).

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (HEBREWS 10:25).

To God be the Glory,

Pastor Helen Trower