All is Well at the Church

Those who have never been on a church staff or in a volunteer position at church, probably believe that since it is a church, everything goes smoothly and efficiently. Not so. I had submitted my sermon schedule to the worship minister and media personnel, with a specific date for the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  A couple of weeks prior to the observance, it was discovered that we had no elements in stock.  You can’t observe the Lord’s Supper without crackers and grape juice, at least not if you are Baptist.  A rush order was submitted and with a one week of re-scheduling, we were assured the order would arrive in time for our service. That was before the ice storm that closed offices.  When the delivery truck successfully navigated the ice covered hills around the church, there was no one present to receive the order.  We discussed what to do next.  Hopefully the ice would melt, and the delivery would arrive on Friday before the scheduled Sunday observance. What if not? The music was all selected to coincide with the Lord’s Supper,  the power point slides were likewise synced and ready. Obviously, the sermon was selected and outline ready for the big screens. No one wanted to go back to breaking crackers into offering plates and pouring juice into small cups.  A decision was made to go ahead with or without the crackers and juice. If the order had not arrived by 11:15am on Sunday morning, we would apologize and invite worshippers to return next Sunday for a double helping of crackers and two cups of juice each. Fortunately, the ice melted, the delivery driver returned, and the majority of those present continued to believe that all runs smoothly at the church.  Afterall, “The way of the righteous is smooth” (Isaiah 26:7, NASB).