June 22, 2014 (Sunday)
Have you ever looked up the word, “Seredipity,” in the dictionary? I looked it up today. Here’s the definition I found: “The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by ‘accident’.” (coined by Horace Walpole, in 1754). The definition does not quite say it like I’ve heard several people say it through the years. When I heard them say it, they were describing unexpected (not necessarily accidental) fortunate discoveries. The word many times can be used to describe a worship experience in church (as well as in other places). Perhaps another expression that would be appropriate is, “surprised by joy.” Last Sunday, for me, was such an experience.
Our pastor, Scott Jones, baptized his young son, Michael. Then, after sharing his deep feelings about it early in his sermon, he took time in his message to thank his own father, who was present in the congregation, for the example he had set as a father who loves the Lord and His church. Three generations. It was Father’s Day, besides. Now, that’s what I call “serendipitous.” I was not expecting all those things to come together as I joined many others in worship, as usual. It was no longer, “usual.” It was Serendipity.
There are probably many fortunate experiences in our lives that are not only unexpected, but unnoticed. If we ask the Lord to open our spiritual eyes and ears, we no doubt will see more of these kinds of happenings than we realized were there. So many times we nonchalantly pass by opportunities to praise God. It was Elizabeth Barrett Browning who made me aware of this in her verse:
“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.”
I wonder what’s going to happen in church today? And after today? And where? As Jesus said, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” As the song says, “Open my eyes, Lord, I want to see Jesus.”