Small becomes Big | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Small becomes Big | Previous Challenge Entry
By Colin Swann
10/06/07
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John had come to the coastal town of Cramme-on-Sea to stay with his sister June for a few weeks. He had lost his wife Grace a month ago and had been feeling lonely and June had invited him to come and stay for as long as he wanted. He had been at his sisters now for almost a week.

The weather was dismal. The wind blustered around the cliffs tops howling like a siren out at sea. He had found it purging walking along the cliff path into the village. It was as if the wind was blowing away some of the hurt and pain he was feeling.

After tea on the first Sunday he said, ‘June I think I’ll pop over to the church in the village.’

‘What the Parish Church? Apparently the new vicar at Saint Michael’s is getting quite a reputation in the Cramme News with his modern ways.’

‘No, the chapel by the post office; I noticed this morning the service was at six and the preacher was a Mrs Kathleen Woods.’

‘Methodist Chapel – Kath Woods – mmm. Make sure you wrap up well - a biting wind along the cliff walk,’ she said as she cleared the table.

When he went through the chapel doors he thought he must have got the time wrong. The chapel was deserted but he heard someone moving around in the vestry. He decided he would leave his coat on, as the overhead heating was useless and it was extremely cold.

Kathleen Woods entered wearing a pea green overcoat and a matching hat, climbed the steps into the pulpit and sat down. He could just see her head popping over the big Bible that was placed there. She gave him lovely warm smile.

She waited there for a few more minutes then left the pulpit and came over to him, put out her hand and said, ‘Hello, I’m Kath. We normally have about nine or ten in the congregation but the weather must have put them off.’

As he shook her hand he said, ‘I’m John, John Milton.’

‘Do you mind if we move into the vestry? It’s much warmer and we can have a time with the Lord there. OK?’

They chatted for about twenty minutes. John shared how he was feeling after the loss of his wife Grace, about his family and the church at which all his family had worshiped and served.
While he was sharing Kath kept jotting down on what seemed to be the back of her sermon notes.

Eventually she said, 'Shall we have a little service and worship the Lord?'

John nodded but thought this is strange. He was used to worshipping in large church with a congregation of over four hundred with semi-professional musicians and singers and exuberant worship and praise.

Kath said, ‘I’d like to dedicate this little service to the remembrance of your wonderful wife Grace.’

She went on to open with a short prayer. John felt the presence of Jesus like he had never felt before. He felt a soft and loving hand on his shoulder – so real he reached out to touch it. ‘Must have been Jesus,’ he thought.

Then they sang quietly, without music, just two hymns one after the other: ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ and ‘Trust and obey’. The presence of Jesus was so meaningful and real that tears streamed down his cheeks. ‘To think Jesus has arranged this in memory of Grace,’ he thought.

Then Kath talked to Jesus. John felt Jesus was in that plain little vestry with them. She talked about Grace as if she had known her. John was wondering, ‘How could she know so much about my wife?’ Her prayer was inspiring and prophetic. The revealed knowledge of the life and character of Grace that she shared in her prayer just had to be Holy Spirit inspired.

John thanked Kath for the wonderful service. On his way back he got to thinking that true worship is touching Jesus and sensing His awesome presence. He felt he was walking on air.

He remembered Kath’s unorthodox benediction to the little service when she simply read a scripture from her old King James version of the Bible, ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’

John shouted out on those cliff tops, ‘Thank you Lord, thank you so much.’

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