Church of the Wide Woods
The animals of the Wide Woods would get together each Sunday in the Clearing to worship God. The bears, the deer, the raccoons, the birds and all loved their fellow worshipers and wished that every animal in the Wide Woods could enjoy this worship time with them.
Some types of animals, though, were not represented in this "fellowship of the Clearing." No beaver had ever come, for instance, though they seemeed lik good, industrious, clean animals.
In the Clearing one Sunday, someone (I really don't know who) wondered aloud, "Why doesn't someone invite the beavers to be part of our group?"
But who ought to do it? Who had the most in common with the beavers? The deer? Surely not -- "The bears have similar fur." The bears? -- "They're more the size of the raccoons than we bears." The raccoons? Surely not -- "They don't live in trees like we do. Their homes are near that of the herons." The herons? "Surely most animals have more in common with beavers than does a wading bird."
Though none volunteered to invite the beavers to Sunday worship in the Clearing, they would have been welcomed had they come on their own.
One day, the beavers did come on Sunday to join in worshiping God in the Clearing. They were glad they came, for they were indeed welcomed and felt a real nearness to God and the other animals.
Someone (I really don't know who) asked the beavers what led them to join in the "fellowship of the Clearing."
"It was a rabbit," they said. "We were impressed that an animal so unlike us would go out of her way to extend a paw of friendship."
Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Comments