There is something special about Gator’s living room chair. It is very comfortable and with a quilt, precious and defrayed, sleep arrives. A book by Norm’s favorite author is icing on the relaxation dessert. A delightful meal.

A bit earlier at the transition time between afternoon and evening (1700 hours.) Supper, not dinner which is a lunchtime meal. Many debates about these delineations occur. Norm always uses the term dinner pail of old. Something you thus carry to whatever work site you go to. The field or the factory. He is adamant about this!

Home grown cauliflower, rice and squash accompanied by family grown heritage wheat baked into flatbread. A bit of cranberry wine and the Friday Shabbat with candles and a blessing and a toast to the King of the Universe. That is a very old Jewish tradition and now, with a Messianic Daughter-in-law, it is a delightful communion every Friday (not religiously but joyfully) as the family sits around the table. It is more than sufficient to get Norm’s nose out of a book and into the kitchen. When their ‘daughter in love’ is there, she sings the blessing in Hebrew, and we toast the Lord before eating.

The rest of the week can vary from the ‘smash and grab’ style from the fridge to a giant pot of rice and vegetables flavored with Tikka Masala and Bragg’s salty sauce. Food, it brings people together to feast and relax. Perhaps it can explain the lone man, sitting on the counter stool eating breakfast. No one to talk to except the wait staff.

A nice slow breakfast with perhaps a newspaper on the left side of the plate. Like Norm when he is eating his break fast.

Often, it is Norm sitting alone, munching his exquisite designer cinnamon toast and drinking the best coffee he can make. Keeping a close eye on the fire he has lit in the parlor stove. What is it about eating either alone or with loved ones that satisfies? Eating favorite food with what our Lord has given us is pretty good. He made us that way.

There is a similarity with attendance at the ‘church’ of familiarity (or new). The term church refers to the people of the world around us that profess a Christian faith, not a building perse. Names are used from scripture to make it easier to find the buildings and tell others were you go to be in fellowship. You know them, most of them. Of course, being used to Norm’s penchant for oddity he wonders why certain names, scriptural names are not used. The first church of Long suffering perhaps or the church of Self-Control. Norm likes the Church of Fruitfulness.

An expected and surprising fact is that intimacy with our Lord Jesus and intimacy with one another can begin with shared prayer. Norm and Julie, his wife have found great freedom and developing relationships with small groups of people that pray with one another. Many gatherings of worshipers on Sunday do not know each other closely nor pursue it. Praying for one another engenders another level of fulfilling growth with fellow believers.

The size of the congregation seems to not be a factor in the amount of people who join together for prayer during, before or after ‘services’ (an annoying word, services, for Norm. He associates that word with plumbers or oil changes) Praying for the Pastor’s message to go deep and be joyful as well. A good prayer subject for sure.

Julie and Norm find themselves drawn to prayer groups anywhere they go to. In small gatherings and huge ones of ten thousand. The interesting fact is that the number of people who do this intimate activity seems to remain the same no matter the size of worshipers. Around five to ten people are drawn to pray in the time that other people gather. They were a bit anxious when they visited a pleasant and very large church recently. What will it be like?

A revival such as the stadiums filled with Billy Graham speaking? A gathering they went to a few years ago on the National Mall in D.C. In Washington was with small groups of a dozen or so that sang and prayed together in tents on the mall. 50 tents in all. It was huge and it also encouraged small groups all at the same time. A vast majority of people are not drawn to pray in small groups, out loud with one another. It’s familiar to Norm and family. Intimacy with Jesus engenders intimacy with believers. So no matter the size of the ‘congregation’, prayer teams stay the same. Not everyone’s calling. That’s perfectly OK and normal. Hard to have an intimate relationship with new people. Mega churches no longer look intimidating to them. Just the parking lots.

Intimacy with Christ is an easier task with shared prayer however. The world now has a fear of being ‘exposed’ for the weakness’ we all have in our life. With Jesus’ spirit living inside of us we are learning this about ourselves. The hard life and the wounds have actually made it obvious for us. A Lord that knows us because He knew us before we were born. It brings a hunger for Him and His spirit.

As Norm’s favorite author, C.S. Lewis eloquently puts it. “A good life seen at the end. A life that has gone to the Lord’s printer.” A life surrendered to the Son.“I’ve never seen a Son like this before” A .

Indeed. A faithful and perfect Son that created everything that is and was and will be. He offered His life just for me. And you. An ancient myth of god dying and coming to life that is now real as Lewis writes. A fulfillment of the dreams and visions of many men from all time.

It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

A. Jon Thurlow