This last Sunday was our final Sunday worshiping with the Asbury United Methodist Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.  We enjoyed the church and the service very much.  Music director Bert Sesler led most of the services and we will always remember his distinctive organ playing.  Even though the congregation was small, it was faithful.  Today I want to write about two things Bert always said in the service.  First, “Take God with you, you’ll have a better week if you do.”  And second, in his prayer time, “Give us something good to do in your name.”

The first statement, “Take God with you, you’ll have a better week if you do” always came at the end of the service.  It is a great benediction and a reminder that following Jesus doesn’t stop at the church door.  Tom looked forward to hearing this benediction every week.  Those of us who follow Jesus know that everything goes better when we remember who we are following.  Our work, our family, all our duties and responsibilities, work out best when we put Jesus first.  So we shouldn’t leave him behind when we leave the church service.

It reminds me of the time I got a cutout figure of Jesus and kids took him home and took pictures with him. The kids (and parents) were so creative with how they inserted Jesus into their pictures.  I wish we could all be that creative with inserting Jesus into our lives.  For sure, we would have a better week and better life if we took Jesus with us everywhere.

The other thing Bert says during the prayer time, and I always hits home with me.  I have started praying it at the start of every day.  “Give us something good to do in your name.”  Every day has something good.  Every day has something good for us to do.  But, does every day include something that we can do in Jesus’ name?  It was easy to do it when I was a pastor, but I have a harder time when I am working a “regular” job.  I am getting better at it since I decided to add it to my morning prayer.

Tom and I were blessed to be a part of this church during our time in Pennsylvania.  May the church, and Bert, continue to have a better week by taking Jesus with them.