Take your burden...

I just thought I'd share a little bit about church this morning. I haven't said much about my church before. We go to Bluff Park Baptist. It's a small church with a dedicated core group of believers that inspire us. We probably have about 70 people there on a good Sunday. Most of those people are above the age of 60. Our members who are middle-aged are the most active, and we love to sit in on their Sunday school class when nobody shows up to ours. =) The church has seen some rocky times lately. Our minister just resigned, and he didn't leave on the best of terms. Honestly, its been a pretty tough place for us to be. We're not alone in feeling that way. Those of you who serve in small churches and wear tons of hats might know what I'm talking about. We give a lot of time and attention and emotional and physcial energy, and sometimes it feels like we receive very little in return. We've sought the Lord about this, though, and we know that He has not released us to move on yet. We are called to serve. I am selfish. I'd like to think that if I give a certain amount, I should receive a certain amount in return. I keep a debit account in my head and my heart, and I know when I think withdrawals are seriously exceeding deposits. It's easy for me to feel quite self righteous about this. I think that others should notice and praise me and reach out to me when I reach out to them. That would sure be nice, and I wish it was Biblical, but drat, its not. Instead, I am to give the man who takes my cloak my tunic also. God's goal for me is that I give in His name to others. I am to trust Him to take care of those needs that humans are not meeting in my church. Yes, I know that it is good to be in a church where other believers are feeding you, and we will be when we move this summer. But at this point, I am learning some important lessons about the meaning and sacrifice of Christian service. I am learning that, surprise, my life is not all about me and my needs. It's about Him. If nobody on this earth ever thanks me for the time I spent teaching them the Bible, He will. His glory is the goal. A pat on the back for me is not. Do I need to learn this lesson over and over and over again? Oh yeah! I don't think I'll ever completely get it until I see Jesus. But I'm learning a little bit now, and I'm thankful for that. But I started out intending to write about something else. This was one of the Sunday mornings when I felt really blessed by our church. It may be small, but the choir is amazingly good. Today were were singing the spiritual, "Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave it There." I know we don't have much soul in our church, but we have one lady who does. She's white, but she can belt it. Her name is Judy Price, and she recently found out that she has spinal cancer. She was singing the solo this morning, and when she sang, "When your body's racked with pain...He can save, and He can heal....Jesus knows the pain you feel, and His love for you is real. Take your burden to the Lord, and leave it there," there was not a dry eye in the church. I felt the Holy Spirit so sweetly in the choir loft as the chords swelled, and we all sang in harmony, "Leave it there. Leave it there. Take your burden to the Lord, and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, He will surely lead you out. Take your burden to the Lord, and leave it there." It's the truth. It's true for Judy, and its true for me. He loves us all. We just need to take that burden to the Lord and leave it there.