Sarah, the dog that LOVED going to church
Sarah Brown was a thundering big girl with kind brown eyes, big feet, and a gentle, loving heart. She loved many, many things including lawn duty and nighttime guard duty (she chose these assignments all on her own).
Sarah died suddenly and tragically in mid-June. This humane society lab cross lived for—and longed for—our daily treks through the nearby woods and fields. Of the dogs I have loved, she was the only one who would trot or bound back to me, nudge my hand, and somehow say, “Thank you.” Yes, she actually thanked me for taking her with me.
Sarah loved my kids—er—our kids. She was their defender and champion. She was their friend and playmate. She was their joy and comfort.
Of all I have mentioned, one defining characteristic shines. What Sarah loved with unbounding passion was church.
You heard me. Sarah loved church. Specifically, Sarah loved going to church.
I drive what is called a mobile dog house. It’s 2018 Toyota Tacoma. Dog lovers experience what I do whenever I am about to leave the house. There’s that perk, that glint in the eye. Then there is the sad question in their eyes as they wait by the door. “Can I come?”
Sarah loved to ride.
Of all the rides she would take with me, one was undoubtedly her best. “Church.” I just said this single word and she BOUND with unbridled glee to the truck.
Someone else reminds me of this energy, this joy and excitement. It’s Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus is introduced in Luke 19. This past July, I’ve preached on encounters with Jesus. Sermons came on the religious expert, Martha and Mary, and what I wrote in last week’s column about Bartimaeus. All of these encounters are found in Luke. All of these encounters are our encounters, too.
This story of Zacchaeus is another meeting with Jesus. Zacchaeus reminds me of Sarah because Zacchaeus is as excited to spend time with Jesus as Sarah was excited to get to church.
Zacchaeus hears of Jesus approaching. Wanting a good view of Jesus, he rushes ahead to nearby tree, climbs it, and waits.
When Jesus sees this tree hugger, he says, “Zacchaeus! Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today (Luke 19:5b)!”
Hearing this, Zacchaeus quickly climbs down and takes Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy (verse 6).
I pray we all come to Jesus as Zacchaeus did. I pray we come to Jesus with our sins, our struggles, and our sorrows.
I pray we don’t meander as we approach. Instead, I pray we come to Jesus in the express lane with no stops, stalls, or silences on our part.
Trees (and climbing them) is optional, but I pray we understand that we are laden with longstanding messes and ingrained ways of being that we alone can’t change.
I get it. Life hurts. Loss drops us to heaps on the carpet (literally). But church? This is where we run to get glimpses of Jesus.
Sarah did die suddenly and tragically. This loss stabs my heart after each busy day quiets and I lay in bed in silence. All the hurts come back as tossed knifes in my heart.
I tell you this truth. If I didn’t get to Jesus in this pain, I would not get through each day.
Jesus is approaching you with his love and his understanding. Rush to the place you can see him best, and it isn’t a tree. It’s church.
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It’s not the clearest picture, but here Sarah is enjoying my then 5-year-old daughter (or is that girl in a dress actually a carpet?). This candid was taken AFTER church.
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