Over 2000 years ago, the wise men saw the brightest star they had ever seen. This star compelled them to go on a pilgrimage to “worship” the newborn king of the Jews. Many scholars believe that the journey would have taken several months, so this was not a light commitment. It is very unlikely that they travelled alone, and they probably needed to bring a lot of things with them for the journey. This was a serious investment of time, energy and resources. Furthermore, they brought with them treasures from their country to present as gifts. What God favoured them with, they brought to honour him with.
This past Christmas season at Toronto City Mission, I had the privilege of witnessing this same heart of worship in two volunteers. Anne and Judith are sisters who help out at our Role Model Moms program in Victoria Village. They are what we call “Sparks” --individuals who pray, volunteer or give on a regular basis. They have made a serious investment of time, energy and resources in our community this past year. When my colleague, Chara, asked them if they would help with the Role Model Moms Christmas celebration, they jumped at the opportunity.
Anne and Judith took what God had favoured them with and used those very things to worship him. God has given Anne and Judith a church family, Integrity Worship Centre, so they appealed to their church to sponsor the Christmas meal for the expected 60 guests. The church agreed. Anne and Judith used their influence to honour God.
Anne and Judith have been blessed with the experience of growing up in a household of 10 sisters. Growing up in that kind of a home, they have learned how to work together well and how to feed a crowd. They ended up bringing Anne’s twin sister, Cicely, along to help with the event. I was so impressed, watching the three women work together harmoniously in the kitchen. They did everything with joy and great love. They even made homemade bread! Anne, Judith and Cicely used their experience, learned skills and ability to work as a team to honour God.
As we prepare to enter a new year, these women have inspired me to take stock of all my blessings and to offer those things back to God in worship. I don’t want to just sing songs on a Sunday, volunteer at my local church, or write a cheque for a good cause. I want to use the other things God has favoured me with to honour him: my family, my influence, my life experiences, my whole life...