Obadiah Mouse squinted one eye open. His bed last Sunday morning felt so warm and cozy that he didn’t want to get up yet. He kept hitting the snooze button on his alarm. He knew he would be late for church if he didn’t start getting ready. Obadiah Mouse groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. He wished he could miss today and stay in bed a little longer. Sometimes he wondered why it was so important to go every Sunday. After all, it was very hard to sit still for that long and sometimes he had trouble understanding Rev. Carriker’s sermon. Finally, after the time he should have been up, which meant he would have to hurry, Obadiah Mouse ate breakfast, brushed his teeth and smiled into the mirror. Convinced that his teeth looked bright and shiny enough, he grabbed his little Bible from his dresser and scampered off to the vent in the Sanctuary to watch the church service. Obadiah Mouse listened to the soft music in the background that Mr. Norem was playing as he looked around the church from his vantage point. He loved to watch the sunlight stream through the windows on the side of the church. He looked around the Church and noted who all was there and made a mental note of some folks who were missing. He glanced over to the choir, which was full. He just knew they would sound great today. They were singing one of his favorite anthems and the hymns were all good too!
As Obadiah Mouse sat through the church service, he was sorry that he had wondered that morning why he had to go to church. Church was special for so many reasons and Obadiah Mouse decided to try to list as many as he could through the service that he could think of. As they sang, Obadiah Mouse put that as #1 on his list. The singing and praying they do at church are a part of worshipping God. Worship is showing God that you love him. The first song finished and everyone sat down. Obadiah Mouse glanced over at his friends from school and added fellowship with other Christians to his list. As he heard the pastor list the names of people who were ill and needed prayers, Obadiah Mouse added that as #3. He remembered when his Uncle Moses was sick; the friends at church were the first people they asked to pray with them. The church is like your family because they pray for and care about you. As Obadiah Mouse listened to the sermon that morning, he added teaching as #4. Obadiah Mouse did learn a lot from Sunday School and from listening to Pastor Carriker. He knew by learning as much as he could, that he would know how to be the best person he could be for Jesus. By the end of the service, Obadiah Mouse smiled as he heard the pastor read the final Bible verse in the sermon from Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them.” That was perfect for the last thing on his list. Obadiah Mouse always got a special feeling when he was in church. He knew it was because this was God’s house and when everyone was praying and worshipping together, he knew God was happy. Obadiah Mouse walked back home and told me about his special list. I agreed that those were very good reasons and I reminded Obadiah Mouse why he had chosen Topsail as his church. He loved Topsail because everyone was so friendly and caring. He enjoyed worship and loved Sunday School, but always said that it was the friendliness and caring atmosphere that helped him make up his mind. It sure is true. Topsail is such a great Church family. I hope you will always make a commitment to be loving and caring. Speak to everyone and go out of your way to be friendly. It makes a big difference.
Oh, and by the way, Obadiah Mouse told me as he left to go home that he was going to bed an hour earlier on Saturday evening so that he would be well rested and ready to go to worship in time!
Hope you guys have a great week! See you Sunday.
Peace.
Josiah
