Ministry Notes~October 20th

Posted by Tia Ciferno and filed in Blog, Lullaby Responses

Julia and I had a full day of ministry yesterday, so today is a “process, pray, and catch up” day.We sang in the morning at a little Methodist Church in East Palestine, Ohio.  Our drive there was early, and the most glorious gift from the Lord.  While we drove the sun was rising over the amber and golden trees, and it illuminated a fog that was settled into all the low areas and rising off of lakes and ponds giving the most heavenly look to every mile.

When we arrived, we discovered one of the reasons for being there. The pastor, a sweet young man from Ireland named Mark, came into the church with a cane and explained in serious tones how there is some unexplained pain and swelling in his joints, and it’s really affecting his ability to walk well. He can’t see a specialist for over a month.  Also, his wife’s father is very sick and will be moving in with them soon. Meanwhile he has three very young children and they had just had one of those “family” mornings when it’s so hard to get everyone out the door to church.  Two-year old Leah, with her big beautiful eyes and cropped bangs, was running in between the pews. Kim said they were going to have four children until Leah came!

Later I mentioned to the pastor how sweet his wife looked holding someone else’s baby.  I smiled at him and said,  “Four is a nice round number.”

To which he answered, “Well, the number ‘three’ in Hebrew actually is translated “the number of children that Methodist pastors are supposed to have.”

He was hilarious. He was also very grateful for a morning that he didn’t have to preach, but could sit with his family and be ministered to. And I loved the fact that in spite of his pressing life circumstances, his joy was contagious and real.

Iris was sitting in front of me before church began.  I introduced myself and Julia and asked her how she was, since we had met her last year.  She said she had had a terrible backache that week, and that yesterday she was at the Laundromat and had dropped her change.

A woman watched her as she struggled to bend over and retrieve it, and that woman said to Iris ( who is a beautiful white-haired lady)  “Do you believe in prayer?”

Iris was surprised by the question but she answered, “Yes.”

The woman laid her hand on Iris’ back and prayed for healing right there in the Laundromat.

Iris said with to us with wide eyes,

“…and my back pain is gone!  Can you believe that?  A perfect stranger.  I mean, I didn’t know whether I should believe her to not, but it was a miracle. I had a miracle.”

Just a little conversation in an old Methodist church I East Palestine.  How ALIVE our Lord is, and working and loving in our midst.

Last night we had ministry at First Christian Church in Girard, which is not far from us.  This was one of the nights I look forward to each year!  The Shanower Trio (a father and his two grown sons) sang the harmonies on Body of Christ for the album 12 years ago, and we’ve been having a night of ministry together every couple of years. Their style is Southern Gospel and mostly very high energy, joyful songs!

So last night was a great blend, as always, of our very different genres, but the same God.  At the end of the evening they came up to the platform to sing the Body of Christ and I was between the two sons, while Dean, the father, was on the far side of our “quartet.”   Before the music started I said, “A rose between…!” and left the rest of the phrase for them to finish.  The people laughed, but then Brian, who was beside me, moved away from me to the other side of his dad, which brought the place to stitches. And those sweet people gave us a standing ovation at the end. It’s always a blessing to know we were a blessing.

A threesome was sitting behind us.  Julia and I talked with them for awhile before church and David told us he’s been going  to church there for over 83 years. His mother brought him when he was a baby, and he told us he’s painted the whole church three times. He said he’s done about everything in that church except lead worship.  Then he told us that the short wooden wall in front of the first pew we were sitting in was called a “modesty rail”.  His wife was funny.  She said “You never told me that in all these years.”   We felt privileged to get that little piece of information. It was designed to block those sitting on the platform from viewing the “legs” of the women sitting in that front pew.

At the end of the evening a woman came up to me and said that her daughter had heard Grandma’s Song almost two years ago and brought the CD home to her mom with such excitement.  This lady has 26 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren and writes in all of their letters “God is the only one who loves you more than I do.”   She told us that her daughter was “jumping up and down” when she shared it with her.  How sweet is that?

Keep us in prayer as we enter into some really busy weeks of ministry, and the joy of encountering more modern day heroes of our faith.  Jesus is alive and well in their lives, and we come away as the ones refreshed!  And if we’re heading to your church or gathering, see you there!!
Love
Tia