The Prompt: You and the congregation are in a forest and you want
to have a church service. What happens? Describe the service.
If you have ever watched The Waltons, this is inspired by Grandpa's feelings about Walton's Mountain.
It was a gorgeous day. The sun was beating heavily down on the heads of the congregation below. The sky was as blue as could be. Every bird from the forest must have been out that afternoon singing the sweetest tunes you've ever heard, and the smell! The sweet scent of evergreens and a light shower from an hour ago filled the nostrils of them as they hiked on over the path. Of course not every member of the congregation was there, but about three quarters were, ranging from as young as 9 to as old as 73. They had intended this to be a community project to clean up the litter that had accumulated across the highway. With so many hands, they were able to finish much sooner than necessary. Since the weather was so nice, Pastor Reynolds had suggested that they go for a small hike on the trail that was nearby, and the congregation agreed.
They had journeyed through that forest for about an hour, and the sun's rays were making them tired. Thankfully, Olivia Reynolds had the foresight to suggest to her husband that they should pack a lunch. Resting for lunch seemed like a perfect idea after hiking. As they ate, Pastor Reynolds' spirit filled with adoration for the beauty that surrounded them. Once he saw that about everyone had finished, he assumed his familiar position standing in front of the crowd.
"Friends! I wanted to say that I am completely and utterly in awe by the Lord's great creation. Can I hear an 'Amen'?"
"Amen!" they responded in unison.
"If it's okay with you, I wanted to take a few minutes just to sing a couple songs to worship God. I feel like singing!"
He began singing the opening lines to "My Father's World," and Becky quickly joined in to lead everyone in her sweet soprano voice. After that song, Becky started singing "How Great is Our God" followed by a contemporary song "Testify to Love." The group was having much more fun singing than they had imagined. The children clapped their hands. A few couples held hands as they stared to the skies. At one time or another, everyone raised a hand in surrender and praise. After the song ended, Pastor Reynolds felt led to say a few words in prayer.
"Dear God, we all are so inspired by your great world you have entrusted into your care. Thank you for blessing us with this splendid day and being with us as we were able to clean up the litter on the road and make the environment a little cleaner. Thank you for bringing us together today, not only so we could use this opportunity to bring glory to You, but to have some time to fellowship with our friends. Please bless and protect us on our walk back to our cars. Help us to find a little beauty in our surroundings every day. In Jesus' name, Amen."
They echoed an "Amen." Then one person uttered, "Say a few extra words, Pastor!" Pastor Reynolds was not expecting to preach but could not deny the request. He wasn't sure what to say, but he ended up preaching a bit on how Jesus would preach in the wilderness. He knew when the time was right to take the time to praise God and when to appreciate nature. After sharing with them a few verses from the Psalms that came to his mind, Pastor Reynolds suggested that they walk back to the road, and with their hearts full of joy, the congregation traveled back the way they came.
I wanted to end this with a little update on what I have planned for the summer. I have decided to name my series with Pastor Reynolds and his congregation Maple Heights. In the future, I intend on expanding more upon the worship team, the Reynolds household, and members of his congregation. Look out for them!
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