Sunday Thoughts

Today's Sunday services were really packed with people.  The chapel overflow wasn't even enough to hold the congregation and the 'cultural hall' (aka the gym) had to be opened up to accommodate everyone.  The reason?  Missionaries.

More specifically, the speakers this week were a congregation member returning from his mission and another congregation member about to depart on her mission.

My church is a proselytizing church.  Members can choose to put aside the cares of their own lives and serve the Lord for 1 1/2 to 2 years.  For young members, age 19-21, it is a proselytizing mission somewhere in the world.  For older couples and single adult members, it could be a proselytizing mission, or a service mission.  My mother-in-law performed a service mission as a botanist at a church run summer camp for girls.  Other retirees have used their life and work experience to serve as educators, in the welfare program, or building wells and bringing clean drinking water to developing countries.  There are many ways to be of service.

The first speaker was Eliza G.  She is about to leave for a mission to Frankfurt, Germany.  She will serve a 1 1/2 year proselytizing mission.  She is 21 years old.  She is currently a student at BYU, but will be setting aside her college plans while she does this.  It is amazing to me that she is old enough to go on a mission!  She is our next door neighbor.  I have watched her grow up.  Even though she is 3 years older than Helena, she used to come over and play Barbies with Helena when they were young.

Her talk was about being careful not to judge other people from the very little you actually know about them.  She used the story of Mary and Martha in the New Testament as an example.  Most Christians know the story.  Jesus comes to visit.  Mary sits down to listen to the message Jesus has to share.  Martha bustles about with the cares of the household, serving, cooking, and cleaning.  She asks Jesus to chastise Mary for leaving all the work to her, but Jesus' response was that Mary was attending to the work of the spirit.

Many people have taken this story as a teaching tool; painting Mary as the good sister who is spiritually in tune and Martha as the 'bad' sister who was too preoccupied with worldly cares.

However, later in the scriptures, Martha is the one to come to Jesus and declare his divinity at the time he raises Lazarus, her brother, from the tomb.  It is a powerful declaration of her testimony in Christ.  It also highlights the fact that Martha gets a bad rap because too many people take one moment out of her life and define her with it.  Think about it.  All of us have our less than stellar moments.  Would you want your whole life to be judged on that one moment in time?

Eliza's talk centered on the fact that the only one who truly knows each and every one of us through and through is God.  You may think you know someone from your limited interactions with them, but there is no way you can truly know them the way the Lord does.  Eliza said the best we can do is love everyone, knowing they are God's children and that they have an infinite worth that we can barely comprehend.  After her talk, she told me she forgot to give her favorite quote and told it to me, so I told her I would put it here.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
― Mother Teresa

 The second talk was given by Tanner C., another 21 year old, who recently returned from serving a two year mission in Concepción, Chile.  His talk centered on fulfilling the tasks appointed to you by God, and more specifically, on the responsibilities of young priesthood holders.

The young men who bless and pass the sacrament every Sunday are doing that as part of their priesthood responsibilities.  The priesthood is the power and authority to act in God's name.  As young men in the congregation get older, they progress in priesthood responsibilities from passing the sacrament, to preparing it, to blessing it.  Adult priesthood holders can perform church ordinances in the name of God, like baptisms, confirmations, and blessings for babies and the sick.  

The priesthood is held by men.  Some would say that is outdated and sexist.  Perhaps.  But, men cannot bear children.  Women can.  If you believe in the divine creation of man, then the division of labor (quite literally) is divinely appointed, too.  Men carry the priesthood forward.  Women carry the species forward.

Besides.  I really have quite enough on my plate without adding one more responsibility.

Anyway, there was one comment in Tanner's talk that stood out for me.  He said that if he found himself standing at the Judgment Seat at the end of his life and had to confess that he did not fulfill his responsibilities on earth because he was lazy, he would die of shame.  Of course, if he is standing at the judgment seat, he is already dead... but the sentiment is accurate nonetheless.  We all have responsibilities in this life to act as Christ's disciples, to lift and encourage others.  Don't let laziness stand in the way!  Imagine facing Christ with such a feeble excuse for poor choices and inaction.

All in all, it was an excellent Sunday service and I want to thank both Eliza G. and Tanner C. for their excellent talks!