There are moments in life that affirm certain beliefs in our minds. When your child is born, you become certain that you now know what it means to love someone more than yourself. When you feel like life is overwhelming you and someone comes along side of you to help, you become certain that you now know the benefit of living in community. When you touch a hot pan and burn your hand, you become certain that you know now that you will never do that again.

This past Sunday, I had one of those moments. But rather than it being something I was taught for the first time, it was a wonderful reaffirmation of something I knew; the meaning of worship. Serving in a church, sometimes we can dismiss the importance and power of worship. Either you had a really rough week leading up to worship, some crisis pops up the morning of worship, and it becomes difficult to be present in that moment of worship. It is almost like you go through the motions and miss out on the one thing that can help you with what you are experiencing.
This past Sunday, at our 9:30am worship service, I was reminded about that power. Allow me to set the stage for you. Our Worship Band was playing their big set in the middle of the service and they were doing an amazing job. I was almost lost in the moment. And had it not been for the fact I was getting ready to preach, I probably would have become lost in that moment. But part of my mind was occupied, going over my sermon and watching for the cue for me to go up on the platform. They got to their final song of that set, Set a Fire. The chorus is, “So set a fire down in my soul, that I can’t contain, that I can’t control. I want more of you God, I want more of you God.”
As we sang that chorus, suddenly I could now longer sing the words. I could see them on the screen, I had not lost the ability to speak, but the willingness of my spirit to sing was simply gone. It was in that silence, that I felt the Holy Spirit ask me to take a bit of a different approach when it was my turn on the platform. Generally, when the Worship Band finishes their set, I would go up, read the Scripture and begin to preach. This day I was being asked to pray. But not just pray, but to bind myself with the congregation and have all of us pray for each other. I fought the urge, mainly because I think it surprised me. I had a plan, wanted to stick to that plan, and God was asking for my participation and my obedience in doing something a bit different.
Not knowing exactly what I was supposed to do in that moment, I went up on stage after the set was over. I told the congregation that we were going to pray and that purpose of the prayer was to pray for each other. So I gave them a few seconds to get the names of the people on their left and right. I explained that when I said the words, “and Father we give to you ______”, they were to audibly say the names they just learned, and could even include their own name. We prayed, the congregation joined in, and it was amazing. I told the congregation that I was not sure why we were doing this, other than the fact that the Holy Spirit asked. For me, it was moment where the veil between Heaven and Earth was thinned and the movement of the Holy Spirit was very apparent.
Well, I went on with the service, experiencing the joy of obedience, and thanked God for the moment and opportunity. After the service was over, someone approached me. With tears in their eyes, they mouthed the words, “thank you”. I gave them a space to expound on what they were feeling and words simply were not enough to describe their gratitude. Not for anything I had said or done, but for God’s presence in that moment.
My friends, there are times where the Spirit of God can and does ask us for obedience. Obedience to pay attention, to offer kindness to another, or to simply move aside so the Spirit can move. It those moments we may not know why, as I had no idea why we were to pray last Sunday, other than that was what was being asked of us. That person needed that prayer, God was seeking to use that entire body to fill that need, and through our obedience, something amazing was done in our Family Life Center.
Thank you, God, for using us, thank you God for allowing us to be a part of that moment, and thank you God that you are always present among us. May that Sunday not be relegated to a moment, but may it become our tradition. May we always enter your house, with an expectation and readiness to hear you, feel you, and experience you, in a way that transforms us and helps us become more like you in all we say, in all we do, and in all that we are.
Have a great week my friends and I will see you Sunday!