Late Can Even Be Better

I have an overall affection for our church. That’s an understated way to say that I love just about everything about our church. I was going to say that I love our normal worship services but I’m not sure they are normal anymore. And I mean that in the best possible way. Our worship just keeps getting better. Seeing the excitement of kids as they run down to the Kids wing is thrilling. But if there is one thing I love more it’s baptisms. This past week I watched as people lined up each service and stepped into the tank to let everyone know that they now belonged to Jesus. Each of them with a story. 

Before the first service a man named Ray was sitting in the front row with his black “Made New” baptism shirt on. He was the first one in the sanctuary. I walked over to greet him and his face was already flush with emotion. He wiped his eyes before he shook my hand. Ray is probably a little older than I am. I grew up in churches where the majority who got baptized were in their teens or younger. It takes a lot of courage to get baptized when you’re 70. But here was Ray. I found out later that his grandchildren were there to watch. I couldn’t help but think the impact Ray was having on his grandkids and what it meant to them to watch their grandfather climb into a tank in front of hundreds of people to let them know he loved Jesus. 

We’ve all heard the phrase “Better late than never.” That’s true. But it might be true at times that late can even be better. 

And that gives me great hope as a grandparent.

Pastor Joe