At church one of my friends is a great single Mom to three great kids, one girl and two boys. I have watched them growing over the past few years and they are a delight. The oldest boy, we will call Kevin, loves to joke around, skinny, dark hair, freckles and does a dead on impersonation of Drew Barrymore’s cadence.
Funny kid.
Today, I looked over and while he had left his mother’s side quite a while ago to join the tweens/teens section on the front row to our left, it was very cool to see him today having fun among his friends. They were singing, talking and being a part of our church. They even looked like they wanted to be there and were having fun! 
The thought came to mind, “He’s taken his place,” and I felt very encouraged for him.
On another note, some sad news also happened. Our worship leader Abby, had to fly home last week because her grandfather passed away. In her place the guitar guy, we will call Blond Faux Hawk Dude, stepped up to fill in the gap as worship leader. In times past when he has led a song, he sounds like a cross between Third Day and Scott Stapp.
Excellent. I really like Third Day and Scott Stapp.
But today, one word, fantastic. It was hard to describe but at one point during the second song, you knew that you knew Jesus was in the room. Of course. He always is because He is omnipresent and the whole scriptural “where two or more are gathered He is there” thing. But something just happened, communion was strong and while I was hearing personal “words” I opened my eyes and looked at the stage. By the look on Blond Faux Hawk Dudes face, the Holy Spirit was blessing him. You knew he wasn’t simply singing and leading a set of songs for himself or our sakes … he was worshipping a Living God and the Lord was responding.
And then the thought, “he has taken his place too” came to mind and I was happy for him. It’s always encouraging to see artists being blessed as they live out their art and music.
Last weekend Pastor Clark started a series called Free Indeed which is a series about finding freedom in Christ from any sort of sinful behavior. I had been talking with Pastor Beth for a few months about how I can help out more at the church and being on the prayer team came up. Today, after the sermon, I came up with the other members of the prayer team to pray for those who were inspired by the sermon and led by the Spirit to come forward.
As I stood at the altar, facing the congregation, my church family, Pastor Clark was inviting people to come forward for prayer. I looked over and freckle faced Kevin was on the front row smiling and waving at me. And the dear voice of a loving Savior said to me,
“And you have taken your place too.”
And grinning, I thought, “Jesus, you’re awesome.”
Of course taking our place in the Body of Christ happens the moment we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. At that moment we are among the family of God. But I think it takes an act of the will to integrate ourselves into the Body of Christ. This isn’t the end all be all of what any of the three of us mentioned in this post will be in the Body of Christ but it is an important that we take our place in the Body of Christ … today, in this way.
I’ve made various contributions in the past in various ways and no doubt there will be more and different opportunities in the future. But today Kevin actively joined his peer group, Blond Faux Hawk Dude led worship with His gifts ringing through the heavens and I was given the humbling honor of praying with my siblings in Christ seeking freedom for various issues.
Jesus is awesome. He and His Body are alive and active.
Do you need to take your place in the Body of Christ? If you have, thank you. If you have not, please do, we need and want to be around you.
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Taking Our Place: At church one of my friends is a great single Mom to three great kids, one girl and two boys… http://bit.ly/1McsKu
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Great thought, Randy!
You said, “This isn’t the end all be all of what any of the three of us mentioned in this post will be in the Body of Christ but it is an important that we take our place in the Body of Christ … today, in this way.”
I thought that perhaps the “end all, be all” was achieved by a fourth person you mentioned: Abby’s grandfather. He’s taken his place too.
That is very true Tony. I also thought, after I wrote it, that Abby had taken her place in the Body by ministering to her family during this time.