Hi, all! Just a thought.

As my wife attended meetings and worked through the day, I walked two or three miles around the downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, streets. As I walked and visited several churches in the area, which I’ve previously told you about, I walked up to this beautiful place. The grounds were immaculate. The flowers and plants were amazing. Obviously, someone had worked very hard at maintaining their place of worship.

As I walked up to the front of the church, whom did I see, but Jesus Himself. Now, of course, this is just a statue, but it is a very nice representation of Christ our Savior and two young children, one in His lap and one standing beside them, seemingly awaiting his turn with the Master.

I was genuinely surprised to get to see this beautiful sculpture and to spend a few minutes admiring it up close. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to run into Jesus at His own house of worship, but then again …

I can’t help but think that even we well-intentioned worshipers gather together in God’s House for our times of worship, whenever they may be, and we simply go about our routines, our recitations, our rehearsed lessons, and our pious prayers, with no focus whatsoever upon the One to Whom all of these things should be aimed.

The Lord is certainly anywhere and everywhere we go and gather. There is no doubt to that at all. What concerns me is that we don’t often enough acknowledge His presence even while we are gathered to worship Him.

Yes, I was pleasantly surprised to walk up to Jesus that particular morning. But my aim for the coming week will be to actively look for Jesus, so that I’m not surprised when I see Him. I will strive to look for Him in my times of worship but also in my times of regular day-to-day activities. I will look for Him as I walk the walk each day this week.

Will you?

Just a thought. ’Til later.

Brad Campbell can be reached at mastah.pastah@yahoo.com.