The Living Christ
Stories
Lily looked at the sign advertising the worship services on campus. She checked her calendar on her phone and scrolled through her activities and timetable. There were a couple of times when something was happening at the chapel that she was free. Maybe she should think about attending. She knew her Mom would really like it if she went to church while she was at university.
Lily frowned. None of the girls in residence had mentioned chapel or church so far. They were all busy with sports, with clubs and going out with friends. She tapped her chin and wondered what she should do. Her phone chimed and it was one of the girls on the floor wondering if Lily wanted to go to the dining hall with her. Lily typed a reply and looked at the chapel worship schedule one last time. Maybe she could decide after the orientation week was finished and she better knew what was happening on campus and how busy her class schedule would be. As she walked away from the chapel, Lily wondered if she would like her new roommate.
Lily stopped in front of the door of the chapel and read through the sign inviting everyone to the Christmas services. She whistled to herself. Where had the time gone? She had promised Mom that she would check out the chapel, but the truth was she had never set foot inside the doors. There were lots of times that she had thought about it and once or twice she even put it in her phone and got ready, but something always got in the way. There was the time that she forgot, the time her roommate Paula got sick, and then of course midterms and the work which piled up so quickly. Lily tapped her chin and wondered if she should just wait until the new year and begin going when everything started up again in January.
“Hey, residence buddy,” Kristin said. “You thinking about going to chapel?”
“Maybe,” Lily replied. “I’m not sure though.”
“Some of us are going. Why don’t you come with us? The choir director is always looking for voices and I’ve heard you singing in the shower. Come on, it’ll be fun and honestly at university, it really is good to have something like chapel to anchor you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that there are temptations, distractions, and even bad paths you can take. Going to church and keeping connected to Jesus make all the difference to me. What do you say?”
“Well if you don’t think I’m too late to take part...”
“Are you kidding?” Kristin linked arms with Lily. “You can never be too late to start going to church and walking with the living Christ.”
Lily’s phone chimed and she tapped a quick reply.
“If that’s important you can take it.” Paula said with a sigh from the other bed in the residence room. “I need a few minutes to figure out what this assignment is all about anyway.”
Lily smiled. “It’s just Sally asking if I’m going to the sunrise service this Easter.”
“So -- are you?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lily said. “Chapel services make my week.”
Paula put the textbook down. “You know I wondered how you did it.”
“Did what?”
“How you seem so optimistic and positive all the time. I mean yeah, I’ve seen you grumpy -- but you always have energy and time for people. I admire you.”
Lily waved her hand. “You’re going to make me blush.”
“I’m serious. When I first moved in you were certainly polite, and hey -- you were there for me when I got sick around Thanksgiving. Yet it was just before Christmas that you really came alive. I mean that is when I think we really became friends as well as roommates.”
“Hey. You’ve been a great friend too,” Lily said. “I guess it took me until December to really realize what was important and to stop being afraid.”
“I wish I could do that.” Paula hugged herself. “Sometimes the pressure of studying and the events of the world really get to me.”
“Chapel is what grounds me for the week and helps me face all of that.” Lily tilted her head. “Why don’t you come to worship with me this Easter?”
Paula thought for a few minutes. “What do you find in chapel that is so great? The music, the pastor, the people?
“All of that’s there and all of that’s great,” Lily said. “But the truth is that when I first went to the chapel, I found something much more important. I found Jesus.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, April 12, 2020 issue.
Copyright 2020 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Lily frowned. None of the girls in residence had mentioned chapel or church so far. They were all busy with sports, with clubs and going out with friends. She tapped her chin and wondered what she should do. Her phone chimed and it was one of the girls on the floor wondering if Lily wanted to go to the dining hall with her. Lily typed a reply and looked at the chapel worship schedule one last time. Maybe she could decide after the orientation week was finished and she better knew what was happening on campus and how busy her class schedule would be. As she walked away from the chapel, Lily wondered if she would like her new roommate.
Lily stopped in front of the door of the chapel and read through the sign inviting everyone to the Christmas services. She whistled to herself. Where had the time gone? She had promised Mom that she would check out the chapel, but the truth was she had never set foot inside the doors. There were lots of times that she had thought about it and once or twice she even put it in her phone and got ready, but something always got in the way. There was the time that she forgot, the time her roommate Paula got sick, and then of course midterms and the work which piled up so quickly. Lily tapped her chin and wondered if she should just wait until the new year and begin going when everything started up again in January.
“Hey, residence buddy,” Kristin said. “You thinking about going to chapel?”
“Maybe,” Lily replied. “I’m not sure though.”
“Some of us are going. Why don’t you come with us? The choir director is always looking for voices and I’ve heard you singing in the shower. Come on, it’ll be fun and honestly at university, it really is good to have something like chapel to anchor you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that there are temptations, distractions, and even bad paths you can take. Going to church and keeping connected to Jesus make all the difference to me. What do you say?”
“Well if you don’t think I’m too late to take part...”
“Are you kidding?” Kristin linked arms with Lily. “You can never be too late to start going to church and walking with the living Christ.”
Lily’s phone chimed and she tapped a quick reply.
“If that’s important you can take it.” Paula said with a sigh from the other bed in the residence room. “I need a few minutes to figure out what this assignment is all about anyway.”
Lily smiled. “It’s just Sally asking if I’m going to the sunrise service this Easter.”
“So -- are you?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lily said. “Chapel services make my week.”
Paula put the textbook down. “You know I wondered how you did it.”
“Did what?”
“How you seem so optimistic and positive all the time. I mean yeah, I’ve seen you grumpy -- but you always have energy and time for people. I admire you.”
Lily waved her hand. “You’re going to make me blush.”
“I’m serious. When I first moved in you were certainly polite, and hey -- you were there for me when I got sick around Thanksgiving. Yet it was just before Christmas that you really came alive. I mean that is when I think we really became friends as well as roommates.”
“Hey. You’ve been a great friend too,” Lily said. “I guess it took me until December to really realize what was important and to stop being afraid.”
“I wish I could do that.” Paula hugged herself. “Sometimes the pressure of studying and the events of the world really get to me.”
“Chapel is what grounds me for the week and helps me face all of that.” Lily tilted her head. “Why don’t you come to worship with me this Easter?”
Paula thought for a few minutes. “What do you find in chapel that is so great? The music, the pastor, the people?
“All of that’s there and all of that’s great,” Lily said. “But the truth is that when I first went to the chapel, I found something much more important. I found Jesus.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, April 12, 2020 issue.
Copyright 2020 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
