Whew! Sunday was a busy day! Starting with a Church Council meeting at 8:30 a.m., and then Sunday School and worship, it was already a busy morning. (It was a saving grace that I had a friend preach in worship this Sunday). After worship, I had a second meeting with my “Simple Church” leadership group. I got home at around 1:45 p.m., grabbed a bite and quickly mowed the lawn so that our church Preschool could have their picnic at our place at 3 p.m.
It was amazing seeing over forty people (I lost count) gathered in our back yard enjoying food, conversation, playing in the swing, climbing the tree house, walking in the woods, etc. The weather was perfect–warm in the sun, cool in the shade. Most of the folks who attended were not members of the church. I recognized most of the preschool children since I do a monthly devotional with them, but it was fun getting to know their parents in a more personal way.
Recently, I’ve been preaching from Acts and highlighting the importance of hospitality and welcoming the strangers. I was struck that many of the families who were at the picnic were relatively new to Farmville. It was nice to practice, in a very small way, what I was preaching.
And it was so easy. We just opened up our place, and Tammy Dunning, our preschool director, and all the parents did the rest. They set up the tables, brought the food, the ice, the drinks. They brought chairs and blankets, ate the food and cleaned up afterwards!
And as they say, “A great time was had by all.” Great food. Great fellowship. Pictures of children having fun. A glimpse of the Kingdom?
Posted by Michael
