Jonah Interrupted

[audio m4a="http://iamintransit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jonah-Interrupted-8_4_14-3.48-PM.m4a"][/audio] (If you want the background story, it's below.)

I loved this week’s worship experience for all sorts of reasons! Here’s one of them.

This sunday, my sister, brother in-law and two-year-old niece stopped by to visit the element and joined us in worship. I delivered a sermon on prevenient grace in the story of Jonah.

A couple of minutes into preaching, I’m told my niece, Karoline, got a little restless and talkative. (I heard a bit, but not too much.) They made the decision that it was probably time to take her out and let her walk around a bit. Priscilla picked her up and the two of them started making their way to the back doors.

Just when they got to the center section, I noticed that Karoline kept saying my name. I’m told it went something like this.

K: “That’s Kris.”

P: “Yes, let’s go this way.”

K: “There’s Kris.”

P: “Let’s go walk.”

Then, right before Priscilla opened the door, one of my favorite moments in worship happened. Karoline turned to me, waved and shouted out “HI KRIS!!!”

It was the best. It was loud enough to travel all the way to the front of our worship space and get recorded by the microphone I was using. (The distance makes it hard to make out clearly.)

I’m grateful for the spontaneity of this moment. There is nothing like the sound of children in worship. It’s a beautiful sound. It reminds me of the wholeness there is when we respond to God in praise and adoration.

This was a moment I will never forget.