The Story - Chapter 12

As many of you who regularly attend the 8:30 and 11:00 AM worship services have noted, one of my unofficial roles during worship is “acolyte wrangler.” With my seat positioned directly beside the acolytes, I’m often the one they turn to with questions.

These questions range from the practical—
“When do I go up to get the offering again?”  
“Can I go to the bathroom?”

—to the inquisitive—  
“How far do you think this paper airplane could fly?”  
“Why is there a vent right behind our chairs?”

—and sometimes rhetorical—  
“How can Bro. Keith talk this long?”

This past week started as usual, with the usual flurry of questions, but then it took a turn. The acolytes not only answered one of their own questions but also reminded me of something timeless in the process.  

At the start of the service, after the acolytes brought the light of Christ into worship, they dived into their “worship bag,” prepared by Ms. Jessica. Inside, they found a worksheet connecting the day’s scripture to various activities like coloring and dot-to-dots. This past Sunday, the worksheet featured a fill-in-the-blank activity about young King David:

Molly, our youngest daughter, was acolyting alongside Emily, and Molly quickly appointed herself spokesperson.  “Hey, Dad, what word is this? … How about this one? … And this one?” After a while, she noticed my patience running thin and added, “Last one, Dad, I promise! What’s this word?”

The hint read: A gift given to God and the Church.  
O__ __ __ R __ __ G

I froze. I couldn’t think of any word in the English language that fit those letters. (You can probably guess I’m not very good at Wordle. Side note: have you ever noticed “Wordle” isn’t even a five-letter word? What’s up with that?) As I sat there squirming, trying to save face in front of two 9-year-olds, Emily leaned over and loud-whispered, “I got it! It’s O-F-F-E-R-I-N-G!”  

This moment with Emily and Molly came to mind while reading Chapter 12 of The Story. David, now nearing the end of his life, tells his son Solomon how much he had hoped to build a temple for God. However, David explains that the burning God laid in his heart was to prepare his son for the task (1 Chronicles 22:5-13; The Story p. 170),

Emily’s confident answer to the fill-in-the-blank reminded me of something profound: it’s not up to me to have all the answers, solve every problem, or fix every issue. My role is to remain faithful to my calling, preparing the way for others—like the Mollys and Emilys in our church—to live out their callings. Through their gifts, and our gifts, we get to help bring God’s kingdom to earth as it is in heaven.  

The Church, our church, is called to this same faithfulness. We are to offer our gifts—our O-F-F-E-R-I-N-G—to God and trust Him to use them for His purposes. We may not see the full picture, but our faithfulness paves the way for future generations of saints to step into their callings.

Reflect on the following - and I LOVE hearing your responses: How is God calling you to offer your gifts, your O-F-F-E-R-I-N-G, to prepare the way for others in the Church?

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I’ve loved writing this blog and sharing thoughts on The Story this fall! As we approach the Advent and Christmas season, the church will pause The Story (December 1 – January 5, 2025) to focus on preparing for the coming of Christ. During this time, we will celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, in worship, song, and community.  

The blog will resume on Thursday, January 9, 2025, as we pick up with Chapter 13 The Story . In the meantime, I hope you’ll join in as we all prepare our hearts for the Christ Child’s arrival and offer our gifts of worship and love.