the power and presence
April 19, 2010 | Faith: Knowing Christ, Just me, Ministry Life
I attended a little church in the foothills of Woodland Hills, CO on Sunday. Sitting with me were my niece, her husband, and my 15-year-old nephew, and one of their friends. The church was housed in a small section of an empty strip mall and about 40 people streamed in to worship.
As we worshiped it struck me how powerful the presence of God was in this small church. Members had arrived early to pray, inviting God into the service before it began.
He must have been listening.
At some point I forgot where I was and who I was with and just centered in on Who I felt. Before that I was transitioning from working with the Writers Guild all weekend to thinking about the women of Aurora AG in Aurora, CO. I’m traveling to speak to these new friends at the end of the month, and was already thinking about what I was speaking about, what I needed to do…
As I basked in the presence of God I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be, and doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.
If I show up perfectly prepared but without the power and presence of God, it won’t mean a whole lot.
There were other things that God gently showed me that morning in that small church, and perhaps I’ll be able to share more in another post. But the most important was that what I do is more than a message–it’s the immense privilege of communicating a transforming gospel. And I can’t share that without it first brimming over in my own life.
Well, I’m sitting in the airport, homeward bound, and only have a few moments left! I hope I see you in your community one day, friends, but until then I pray that God is so real, so vibrant, and the power of presence of God wraps around you in such a powerful way that you can’t help but share it with others.
Suz
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Amen Suzie. Amen! I look forward to seeing you in my community some day. I watch and listen for names I recognize coming to my area. I’m still waiting. Praise GOD! Happy Monday!
April 19th, 2010 at 1:30 pmI’ve been in a funk about church for some months now and have finally started to come out of it; but I needed this. Because you wrote that “Members had arrived early to pray, inviting God into the service before it began.”
April 20th, 2010 at 6:47 pmLately I have been praying like I never have before. So much so that I am beginning to think that it is God’s call on my life. So you know what I am going to do when I am going to church? I am going to go early in order to invite God to the service.
I think I have been showing up looking for something and because I was not finding it, was losing out.
You have me thinking now.
Yes Suzie, we have to have overflow. I have always loved the words of Peter and John: We can’t help talking about the things we have seen and heard. I pray I stay connected to have that in me all the time. I add you to that prayer. blessings, B
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:49 am