One Sunshiny Sunday In South Dakota!

We have had a day, finally, filled with sunshine. That will all end shortly. It's almost nine in the evening and the rains will begin before ten. It was good to be in worship this morning! Old friends and new came for the service and it all went very well. The afternoon hours were spent with the membership of three AG churches in a camp ground close by listening to author Carl Bauman speak on the movement of the Holy Spirit in 21st century America. The food was good, the fellowship was interesting, and the music was acceptable, the purpose was fantastic! Getting people from three separate congregations to work together for a unified event made this one a welcome surprise! I was the only person who arrived on two wheels, and that always gives me cause for concern, it's the whole "out of place" attitude I get when there isn't anyone else around dressed as I do(for the ride). The surprise came in the shape of people that have hearts that are seeking and reaching. Within moments of my arrival it felt as though I had wandered into a family reunion and I was one of the cousins who hadn't been seen or heard from in quite a few years. There are people that are genuinely kind, caring, loving folks! That shouldn't come as a surprise to me, but it did. It took awhile to understand how it all came about, but I think I've got it, now. The whole church(Body of Christ)idea made sense in the context of this gathering once I understood that because there were three distinct churches present everyone assumed that I was from one of the other two. Pretty cool when you think about it. Everyone treated me like I belonged there, and I did, only perhaps not as some thought. All in all it was a great "relearning" experience and one that I pray I take to heart within the context of my life when it comes to being "accepting" of the stranger in our midst. It doesn't make any difference what part of our lives we share as long as we are willing to do it in openess, love, and all that other good "stuff." People are like that most everywhere I get to go, and not just in this country, either. It happens everywhere on the face of the planet, everyday. Now if we could just figure out how to make all of our contact with others a positive experience we would be way ahead of the game! It's up to every one of us(I know you already knew that, but I wanted to remind us both). God bless, Preacher.