But at Eastern Hills we had problem. Not a big one, just an annoying one. The platform at the front of the church was so narrow it was hard to conduct worship!

If associate pastor Nancy Allen and I had to pass each other on the platform, one of us had to step down - or jump over the communion table.

And the only short distance for organist Dorothy Peek to move from the organ to the piano on Sunday mornings was by jumping a three-foot choir divider.

Now we could probably have made good money off this situation - charging admission to watch us jump the sanctuary furniture. Unfortunately, my best jumping days are over. And there's that question of pastoral dignity.

This was not the solution.

That three-foot wall in front of the choir was the problem - out of grace somehow - too far forward.

This was surprising, since everything else in the worship area was done so well. All or the worship furnishings - pulpit, communion rail, etc.-were built by the late Wendell Jones, father of Glenn Jones, pastor of University Methodist. So the furnishings have a good pedigree!

But that choir divider was a problem and I decided to move it. And with the help of our United Methodist Men, I did. We moved it three feet back - and wow! What a difference.

Now here's what I really wanted to tell you. As we moved it, we realized it was sized, notched, and designed to fit exactly in the place we were moving it to.

That's the spot Wendell had built it for! - and probably some choir director had insisted that it be put forward to give more choir area.

It never worked well. It never looked right. But people lived with it for over 30 years.

And we do that. We live with problems we could so easily solve.

We live with things "out of place" in our lives. We were designed to live in relationship to God - and nothing works right outside that relationship.

As Saint Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless till they find rest in God."

Be in worship somewhere this Sunday.

That can be the beginning.

I promise - in His name - it will make a difference.