Sunday, September 24, 2006

Meet Marie Noelle Kok, a beautiful and godly woman from Cameroon, who is expecting her first baby in October. We met Marie Noelle and Paul, her husband from Canada, when we were first at the University of the Nations in July. Tara attended her baby shower the other evening.
She had this sad revelation at the shower. Never before, at any baby shower she has attended, have the women prayed together for the expectant mother and baby. NOT EVEN ONCE! Please understand that Tara has had three children of her own, each of which occasioned multiple showers. Then, she has attended dozens of others. Moreover, it is likely that almost, if not all, of those showers were thrown for "Christian" moms by "Christian" women.
Has this been your experience? I doubt that it is unique to the places we have lived in Arkansas. Why would this be true? Why wouldn't the focus of a baby shower be asking God's blessing upon the new life and the parents of that child? Why do we let the trappings of our culture, of gifts and cake and "fellowship," distract us from our relationship with Christ? Besides the fact we are commanded to pray without ceasing, what other occasions would this be true of? What would make a "Christian" gathering at a baby shower any different than any other party thrown for someone?
For the men reading this post, ask your wives and others who do attend such matters. Let me know what you find out. Ladies, do you think that Tara's experience is unusual? And, for everyone reading this, let's do all we can to change this. Don't let another opportunity like a Christmas party or a baby shower go by without bringing the focus of the gathering to the place it should be... a focus upon God and His blessing.

1 comment:

John Parker said...

Hey Bryan - good observation about the baby shower and how we let culture get in the way of our relationship with Christ. Being a guy I haven't frequently too many baby showers, but none of the ones I have attended prayed for the mother or child during the fellowship time. It seems we've invented a culture of "lists" -- prayer lists in particular that seem to go misplaced and unused. I'm not saying we shouldn't make lists, but we should encourage immediate action into prayer in addition to it. I'm as guilty as can be about not praying enough. This post just made it painfully obvious that I (and I'm sure others) constantly overlook opportunities to pray and give praise to God.