SUNDAY MORNING

This past Sunday we had the rare opportunity of going to church with our youngest son and his family. Everyone got dressed in their Sunday best and we made the trip through the Dallas traffic to Park Cities Presbyterian Church. It's an old building surrounded by even older buildings with almost no parking available. Families were parking their cars along the narrow tree lined streets and walking through the brilliant sunshine to the front door. We paraded through the heavy narrow doors and the marbled foyer. A kind greeter escorted the children to their age appropriate classes with promises of great fun and maybe even a cookie.

It was our first visit to that particular church. The sanctuary is far from contemporary modern, but instead supports huge silver pipes from the pipe organ that adorned the front wall. The musical notes from that ancient instrument soared through the high and lofty ceilings. The furniture is antique and ornate. The music sung was very traditional and the congregation followed the order of service by a well designed and printed bulletin. The robed choir performed flawlessly. The young minister was brilliant in his explanation of I Corinthians 13. People were friendly, the atmosphere was reverent and very pleasant.

All was perfect, it is truly a wonderful temple.

And surprisingly the most delightful element of the morning was the fact that we were sitting in the same church pew with our son and his lovely wife. There was a peace in my heart that defies explanation. He looked so handsome, so grown up, so attentive, and committed to hearing the message delivered. It's a settled peace of mind to know that he is interested and purposeful about leading his family to know God, that he re-evaluates his lifestyle regularly to be sure he stays on the right track. We talk about such things regularly.

But, beyond pride, sitting in church with my grown children gives this mom a sense of "home"! I'm thinking that it's a foretaste of heaven, when all Christians will bow down together at the throne of the heavenly Father, all united spiritually and physically in one place. I'm counting on everyone that I love being there!