Sunday, January 31, 2016

Love God With All You Are

Tomorrow will mark a year since my mom left this life to go home.  In the last few years of her life, my mom’s memory, especially her ability to recall new things, got very weak.  So, more and more, we found ourselves talking about old times and very good times. One of the subjects she enjoyed most was recalling her service as director of several dramas presented at our home church.  She talked the most about the church’s presentation of Earnest Emurian’s “The Last Supper.”  My Mom, with the persuasiveness of a salesman and the persistence of General Patton, enlisted sixteen men from our small church to play a part, to dress up in a costume, wear a beard, by growth or glue, wear knee-high hose so their white feet wouldn't shine, and, each in his turn, recite a page-long monologue as one of Jesus’ disciples.  Here is her finished product. 




          What Mom remembered and cherished most about that experience was the difference that brief time on stage made in the lives of those men.  Several of them had been part-time long-time pew fillers, present in worship but doing little else in the church.  But, she said, with great joy and satisfaction,

“When we got them to play a part in that drama, they never went back to the back pew.  They became leaders and servants.  They became the heart of our church.”


          If I dare paraphrase my Mom, the director, when these men experienced the joy of loving God with more of themselves, putting more of their hearts and souls and minds and strength to work in God’s service, they never again wanted to offer God the minimum payment.  They loved God with more and more of who they were and tasted the truly abundant Christian life.  So can we.  

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