Getting Ready for the Surprise Party

I can’t help myself…I enjoy keeping track of God surprises and sightings. It is life-giving ...hope-giving! The Israelites were very good at keeping track of God activity. As one reads the Psalms or Old Testament stories you become more and more aware of this activity of God in the lives of the Israelites. As I prepare for the Wednesday night Surprise Party/Mentoring Celebration/Lenten Service I wonder what Surprise sightings will we see? Surprise us God.

Last night was the final session of Alpha. White clothe table coverings, candles, people serving the meals to the tables filled with those who have been on the Alpha journey together. The cooks had been busy preparing another wonderful meal...the leadership team was busy getting ready for the night...table leaders were gathering with their groups...there was a sense of anticipation and joy. There were new friendships being forged. Laughter was heard with some poignant moments where new and old friends were walking very close in each others lives… tears had been shed for each other. Stephan C., our Alpha leader...the gentle shepherd for these sessions was quietly connecting and caring for his team.

I am always surprised how close we become when we spend time around a meal, sharing our lives with each other…it’s “late night” kitchen table talk time. Maybe you’ve had that late evening meal with new or old friends. As you sit around the table (which seems to be the best place to really visit…really!) the conversations grow deeper and richer…surprise. You see those friends in a different light after times like these. That is one of the Alpha surprises that God is intimately involved in as we share life together.

We wanted to capture some footage of the final Alpha night so Mary S ask one of our members, Shawn E., if he would help us. He graciously consented…even though it was his birthday! As folks gathered for the meal I had a chance to visit with Shawn for a couple minutes. One of the reasons he was willing to be a part of this night was that he had participated in one of the first Alpha series we had at Prince of Peace. He inquired about one of our members of his small group who he had lost track of and said something that I will never forget. “I enjoyed Alpha…but what I really liked was the small group time. They always seemed to be to short. I wished they would have been longer.” Surprise…life is “done” in small groups deeper and more fully. I’ve known and taught that truth for years but to randomly have Shawn share his feelings about the small group experience was an affirmation of what I have believed and experienced in my own life…Surprised again.

See you Wednesday night!
Pastor T