In The Fulness Of Time

I seldom get to participate in a Sunday morning worship service anymore.  A few years ago I took on the responsibility of counting offerings and taking care of the individual giving records.  Recently, as our attendances have increased in both morning services, this work load has increased and it now takes most of both services to complete my duties to prepare a deposit.  However this morning we had a surprise snow squall which made driving difficult and cut down the attendance and the offerings for the first service.  So I was able to get to the service for the message and for communion.  Our pastor had an excellent sermon based on the scripture in Galatians which says "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son ... "   Pastor reviewed so many human things which could have eliminated or delayed the birth of Christ.  But God was in control and when all His plan was accomplished, Jesus was born.  He then shared how God is working out all the events needed for Christ's second coming.  Like His first coming, we don't know when it will happen, but we know it will happen when God is ready - in the fullness of time.  But there is an event where we do know God's timing - Now is the time of salvation.  And the invitation to accept Christ today was given.  And if you haven't yet done this, now is the time of salvation, don't delay.  Then we had communion.  When it came to the cup, the normal pattern was changed and each participant was encouraged to pray privately and drink the cup when they were ready to do so.  This change made this act of worship more personal and more meaningful.  While we quietly did this, we could hear the noise from folks in the narthex waiting to enter for the second service.  This reminded me of the clamor of the world around us that sometimes keeps us from worshipping.  But because God is always with His children, we can enter His presence anytime, anywhere and worship Him despite the circumstances that we encounter.  What a privilege we have.  It is special to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are told in the Bible to do this, but we can also worship Him individually.  It was good to be in the Lord's House this morning and to participate in worship, corporately and individually.  I hope that you, too, had a time of meaningful worship today.