Cool Providence and Fatherly singing

Connar had his first vacation this weekend (click here for the pics). A little town called Tampa. My parents headed out of town and my brother-in-law and girlfriend (his, not mine) flew in, so we hit up the North Tampa area for the weekend. On Sunday, I was able to get away to worship. Amy should be back in the saddle by this Sunday. I worshiped at a PCA church plant only a mile down the road from my parents house.

They incorporated a lovely blend of hymns and a few praise songs (one 'brought me back' to my youth ministry days) with a modified liturgy. I felt right at home. On top of all that, one of my buddies who I hadn't seen for a year, just happened to show up for the 2nd week in a row. You see, the previous week a woman passed out during the sermon. The pastor never finished, so my friend and his wife decided to come back this Sunday. Cool providence.

One of the more moving things I witnessed was from a worshiping parent. He was singing lustily and joyfully while holding one of his children: perhaps 3 years old. I'm not really good at guessing ages though. Anyhow, with his face periodically looking at his son, he appeared to me as though he were singing to or singing over him. The child was kind of fidgety and had his hands covering his ears. As though he didn't want to hear. How's that for a picture of sin? Covering our ears instead of listening to God singing over us.

But the dad kept singing, and it seemed to calm the child. It reminded me of that verse in Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." As God would have it, the benediction came from this same passage. Cool providence. And how apropos to witness this on Father's day.