The Fifth Grade Sunday School Students are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time in their lives this April. In conversation with the young people and their parents I always speak of the fact that the life may be dramatically different each time they receive the Sacrament. There are joyous times like Confirmation, when extended family and friends will be present. When there will be a great deal of laughter and thankfulness for this life we share. When all is right with our world. There are difficult times, when there has been a loss. When we will be sad and struggling to make sense of life’s events. We gather to know God’s presence, support, strength and hope, even when we feel alone. There are times of renewal. There are times to see and hear anew the life and teachings of Jesus. It is a time to see through Christ and the Cross a loving, patient, forgiving, and gracious God. This is a time of renewal as God’s children. Each time we receive the Sacrament to one degree or another there is a Spirit of Thanksgiving, Strength, Renewal and Hope.

This is true not just about sharing the Sacrament of Holy Communion, but of Worship itself. When life is great, like the Packers going to the Super Bowl, we worship! When times are difficult, like the loss of a loved one, we worship! When times are confusing, like now with the demonstrations in Egypt, are they a good thing or a bad thing, we worship! When attendance is full to overflowing (Christmas Eve), we worship! When attendance is small (Christmas Day), we worship! When in doubt, we worship!

Worship is living and living is messy. Worship is far more than music, readings, preaching and sacraments. Worship is coming before God and our neighbor to know we are all members of His family. Worship is about greeting and being greeted. It’s about finding that person standing alone during the sharing of the peace. It is about smiling at the child resistant to receive a blessing from the Pastor. It is bumping into other children of God. It is accepting and being accepted It is feeling God’s acceptance as I am.

Worship is growth. As we live and worship together, we learn. We learn about God and ourselves through the messiness of our worship life. The Word of God and the Ways of God are put into action in our worship life. These become more than just nice sounding phrases. God’s Word and Ways are lived out in our acceptance, forgiveness, respect, and understanding for one another. In it all we learn.