Devotional 9-18-15

They Welcomed This Child

Mark 9:33-37 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”  But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”  Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

The summer of 1970 was one I’ll never forget.It was the only time I would take part in a summer play with my friends at Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church. Our choir directors were Carolyn and Henry McDowell. I sometimes thought of them as Beauty and the Beast, but I would never have said it aloud. I don’t remember what year they came to JM, but they had been in charge long enough for me to know that I would need to be at the practices, know my one line, and be able to sing the selections with enthusiasm and skill. I remember that my favorite anthem was “There’s a Church Within Us," and it would be during that trip that I would learn what those words meant. I came back with a renewed faith and great joy.

But my life was undergoing change as I enrolled in Marshall University. As the next four years flew by, I saw little of my church family. After graduation, when I finally decided to get back to JM, I was devastated to find that the McDowells had moved to Georgia. The little girl in me couldn’t believe that they had left. That was pretty ironic considering I had not even popped in to say hello following the wonderful summer experience they had provided, nor had I said good bye before they left. I never found the nerve to contact them; I left so much unsaid.

Forty-five years passed. One day I posted a picture of some of the cast members/friends who were in that play in1970. Who saw the posting? Carolyn McDowell. As face book friends posted comments, I took the opportunity to thank her for the love she and Henry had shared with us, the time they had invested in us, and the skills they had taught us. Others also wrote, and there was an outpouring of gratitude and love. Carolyn said her only regret was that Henry hadn’t lived long enough to read our posts. They had often wondered if they had made a difference.

Made a difference? They changed our lives. We didn’t just learn to lead a church service. We took responsibility for making worship more meaningful. We understood that we were there to glorify God . The McDowells put themselves last and welcomed each child. They helped us build a church within us and then sent us out into the world.

What about you? Who helped you in your search for the living God? Who answered your questions and kept you on the right path? Tell them today how much you appreciate them. Forty-five years is too long for anyone to wait.

Prayer: There’s a church within us, O Lord. There’s a church within us, O Lord.

Not a building, but a soul, Not a portion but a whole. There’s a church within us, O Lord.

Amen

Becky Warren