“Well this is different,” I said to myself as with widened eyes I took in the large sanctuary. (My own church contains nine pews on each side.) I wondered if I should reconsider this adventure; then I found the rest of the congregation fast on my heels and I was propelled inside.
Up front was the usual, (just bigger versions of what we had at home) and off in the corner sat an unobtrusive set of drums.
I quickly took my place (on the right halfway down … Presbyterians are a bit set in their ways), picked up the familiar hymn book and felt a sense of belonging. A glance at the bulletin confirmed that I knew most of the hymns and by the look of the announcements, their ladies’ group was as busy as ours.
There seemed to be some fussing up front and then I realized that this service would begin a little differently. Someone was sitting beside the drums and when he hit them the first time, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Okay,” I said to myself. “I can handle this.” A short while later I was hardly noticing the drums as I joined in some rather upbeat music. Then, the group sort of faded out of the scene and the “regular” service began. There was no doubt. I was in the right church!
I noticed an elderly couple in front of me. Beside them sat another lady … elderly also, and I watched as they settled in. They were framed by the back of the pew and almost seemed like a still-life painting.
As the service progressed I watched; the two ladies’ heads so often bent together in shared conversation and the one with the greyer hair would reach up to the other and give her blue knit sweater a gentle squeeze. The hands, heavily veined and knotted with arthritis, reached out with so much tenderness. I wondered how many years they had known each other, how many memories had they had shared and how they had influenced each others’ faith?
Sitting, I could feel the affection between them. It spoke to me of the kinds of fellowships we share in the church … precious fellowships that last a lifetime … fellowships that so truly mirror the love of God and His caring for each one of us.
