What's That?

When in Oregon we more often than not worship with the Lincoln City church of Christ. They are a small but vibrant congregation that sometimes has as many visitors/tourist as they have members. The auditorium is small and more living room size than it is worship hall size. But that makes for great singing and an intimacy that promotes informal bliss and a conversational connection with God and man. You might say it is an upper room kind of atmosphere where someone just might fall asleep cradled in a windowsill. But don’t worry they wouldn’t fall far. This past Lord’s Day when we were visiting a small child in the back blurted out during the communion bread being passed, “What’s that?”

I heard some giggles and a faint “ssshhh” from the back but I had this overwhelming urge to want to answer this great question but suppressed it. But wouldn’t it have been great if we would have broken out of our structured formalities and pew sitting decorum to turn and say, “That’s a very good question for all of us to answer!” I mean… isn’t that why we gather around the table? Isn’t the meaning of the emblems and the mystery of communion with the divine and one another what sets the tone for worship and hails the standard for our gathering? What could be more to the point… more historically connected… more Christ spirited… than for a child to ask a question about why we do what we do (Eat unleavened bread…tell your son, ’I do this because of what the Lord did for me…’ Exodus 13:7,8).

Yes, I’m a fan of “decently and in order” but not to the exclusion of meaningful and reflective or forbidding the little child in us all to come to Jesus side. We need more “What’s that?” in our worship and lot less same old sameness bereft of feeling and child honest scrutiny. We need to truly commune and answer not only in worship but also in ministry, “What’s that?” Now, there’s a New Year’s resolution… let’s never lose the child-like/kingdom nature ability to ask “What’s that?” -DAN