A Smart PK

When I walked into the church this morning, only three were present.  I slipped into a pew with them and joined in the conversation.  The normal crowd at Rocky Ford is 12, but this morning some were sick, some were travelling, and some were home.   It was a surprising and amazing morning.  It was the kind of morning which could only happen in the small church where everyone present has a shared history and a strong sense of belonging to one another.  The hour of worship came and no one seemed to notice.  Important stuff was happening in our midst.

 

No, it was not some unplanned revival breaking out, but as powerful a moment of fellowship as I have ever experienced in any church.  Stories from the unwritten history of the church began surfacing in the room.  One woman remembered the pastor who married her and her husband fifty years ago and his untimely death a few months after their wedding.  Another remembered still another who was there when she was confirmed.  A deep family hurt was shared with a request for prayer.  As the moment continued, they began to name in succession pastors who had served their church long years ago as well as some of their trials.  One ran into a great deal of trouble because he dared to wear a casual shirt in the pulpit on Sunday night instead of his coat and tie. 

 

One story was about two preachers kids or PKs who were always into some kind of mischief.  One of them drug a dead pig under the church and when folks arrived on Sunday morning, it was not the smell of incense which greeted them.  Finally, they figured out the source of the smell; however, no one was dressed to crawl under the church and drag out the pig.  Someone offered to pay one of the boys to go under and drag him out.  So, the PK who put it there volunteered and got paid to undo his smelly deed.  It made me think of the shrewd servant praised by Jesus.  Finally, about 11:30 I stood between the first and second pew, read the Word, and preached the message.   What a great moment of fellowship and worship.  Too bad so many missed it, but then, had they been there, it no doubt, never would have happened!