Bringing Our Gifts to the Altar

For me, the highlight of this morning's " Christian Education Sunday" was the children leading us in song. Perhaps because some of my earliest Church memories are singing with the choir (I sang in the Choir from the time I was in the 1st grade until I started doing my professional work in the Church which doesn't leave me free to sing with the Choir on Sunday mornings!), children's voices lifted in praise goes right to the core of my being.

Singing is an important part of worship - especially for Methodists. The Wesley brothers wrote over 2,000 hymns; singing to God and of God is our heritage. But standing up front and leading songs of praise as our children did this morning is NOT about performing. When anyone leads worship through prayer, praise, song or preaching, they bring the gift of themselves to the altar. When we offer ourselves and whatever gifts and talents we have, we give our gratitude to the God who made us and who delights in us.

This is an important lesson for all of us to learn. We live in a society that constantly tells us we can never be perfect enough. We feel ourselves being constantly judged. Worship is a TOTALLY different way of being. God asks only that we bring joyful hearts and the intention to offer ourselves to praise God and to be in service to each other in worship leadership. Children are some of the best teachers we have when it comes to learning what it is to be joyful in God's presence.We can be fidgety, not know the words, and forget what we are supposed to be doing. God isn't keeping track. But God IS smiling at our presence, clapping along with our joy and finding us pleasing simply because we are loving God back.

It is a lesson that cannot be learned too young. And a lesson about which we are never to old to be reminded!

Faithfully,

Elizabeth