One Sunday Morning

A couple of Sundays ago, my daughter called me stating that she wanted to go to church with us. She realized that it was getting late and apologized for calling at the last minute. She inquired about our schedule, and when I informed her of our normal schedule, she said that she would hurry to get ready so as not to delay us. I said, "No, take your time. We will skip the morning pre-service prayer. I will never forget that morning, because that brief encounter provided me a fresh understanding of the Christ we serve and worship. I already knew this lesson, but with my daughter, the observation became even more personal. Religion was saying one thing. Relationship was saying another. Man Made Religion was saying, "I'm sorry honey that you called at the last minute. Perhaps you can go to church with us next Sunday, because we are dedicated and obligated to be at the pre-service prayer. The Lord and the church are depending on us. The Lord comes first you know. Christ Made Relationship was saying, "The interest of my daughter, a living soul, takes precedence over my scheduled prayer activity. My daughter's interest and spiritual well being become a higher priority than my obligation to the pre-service prayer." Because the priority lessons of Christ were deeply rooted in my heart and spirit, I immediately knew how to respond. For example, the 99 sheep had to wait until the shepherd found the one lost sheep. The Sabbath had to pause for the rescue of the sheep who had fallen into the pit. The Sabbath had to take a back seat to the crippled man whom Christ healed.* Christ is not about religion or merely religious activities. Christ is about relationships with Him and his people. 11262017 PS *Mat.18:12-14; Mat.12:11; Mk. 3:1-6