Sunday lessons

…..“Love your neighbor as yourself.”^(L) 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.^(M)  

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come^(N) for you to wake up from your slumber,^(O) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  Romans 13: 9 – 11 (NIV)

I am particularly slow to wake and get moving on a Sunday.  I know I should not be.  And I have little reason to be slow;  for twenty years, except for the few years that I was a Reservist,  I have attended church every Sunday morning ( that I was physically able to do so).

For a number of years, (seven?  or maybe closer to ten?)  I have served as a lead usher for the service,  and the longer I have served, the more I rely on Jesus to fill in the gaps.  One of the tenets of my faith,  this helps me when volunteers are late to our pre-service meeting,  or we have some members and some guests visiting who will walk past the omnipresent signs, “NO Food or Drink in the Auditorium”, carrying bottles or snacks.  We  rent the building from a school so we have their guidelines to follow AND generally one or two of the school personnel monitoring us ( assisting with the facility).    I sometimes have a teen who cops an attitude.  Their mom, dad or a teen leader is able to help fix it.  Occasionally I have visitors get upset and turn and leave when they are informed that we need to have them leave their food or drink  – which we additionally provide outside at a welcome table – outside the facility.

During the service, most things go smoothly from the ushering viewpoint.  On a few occasions we have most rows filled, but often there are some folks who will insist on sitting only within three or four seats at either end of a particular row.  This is not due to any physical or health need – it just is how they “roll”.  This can be a moment for everyone to have a “one another” moment.    When I have great people serving with me,  we just “love up” on people and carry on.

And when I get home from service,  Jesus is still helping me “fill in the gaps”. The dog that helps me by going through the kitchen or bedroom trash can,  scattering its contents.  Perhaps I really need to learn the lessons that Jesus is leading me toward.  In the grand scheme of things,  salvation is nearer than when I first believed.   Love everybody.