Worship included 'zing' moment

By Gordon Aadland, Immanuel Lutheran Church of Centralia

The idiot savant within me has brought back a song of my 1930s youth, “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart.”

My heart played a whole symphony at a service in our church in mid-August. Our daughter, Carrie Aadland, has been restricted to a wheelchair since multiple sclerosis did her in a couple of decades ago. As a member of the church council she was helping our pastor serve communion.

When the walking communicants had all be served, Carrie, carrying the tray containing tiny glasses of wine or grape juice, maneuvered her own wheelchair into the pews section to serve Steve Cavalier. Steve is also in a wheelchair, without the use of either his arms or his legs. She maneuvered her wheel chair to be head on with Steve’s. Steve opened his lips, and Carrie leaned forward and placed a little glass cup of grape juice against his mouth and tipped it. Steve swallowed. Communion complete.

Sitting next to Steve was Michael Whitlinger, a friend and church member, who drives Steve wherever he wishes to go and provides other Good Samaritan services. They exchanged smiles.

Zing! Zing! Zing! Zing!

I know that such an occurrence has never taken place in our church before. I doubt that it has in any church. It was enough to send Carrie’s dad, with zings dancing in his head, to the computer keyboard to tell his readers about it!