Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

There is just some kind of connection between grandparents and their grandchildren that is indescribable - hard to put into words.

Christie came to our home on Thursday evening (with Georgia) and stayed until Sunday morning.

We had a blast.

Thursday was Christie's birthday and we took her to P.F. Chang's....they have a "sea bass dish" that is crazy good.

On Friday morning I got to be with Georgia (Christie calls me her new playmate) and we had fun crawling around on the floor, specifically underneath and around the dining room table and chairs.

I can't tell you how much I love that granddaughter of mine. When I walk in the room, her face lights up (Of course she does that for a lot of people) - but it makes my day.

Yesterday was a good day. Our worship time at the end of the second service was very meaningful for our church family.

Let me say this - we are becoming once again - a worshipping church. Our church has a long and rich history of the fire of Pentecost falling. Once again, we are spending time in seeking his face, drawing closer to him, letting the Holy Spirit direct our services, specifically the altar time.

I long for a Sunday where agendas are thrown out the window, lunch plans are laid aside and we say to ourselves, "it's good to stop and dwell in the presence of the Lord."

Several words came to me last night as I was sleeping.

Word....Worship...Witness....Work.......all are important components of any church.

When I first came, our church was strong, and continues to be strong in the area of works. Several, many, in our church family are locked into a ministry in the church and are consumed with a passion to see that ministry succeed (all of these ministries are important and I am thankful for those who are committed and faithful).

What we are learning is this: The Word (spoken on Sunday mornings) and our Witness (or sharing our faith throughout the week) and Worship (or gathering together to corporately give God praise) are just as important.

All four components are needed.

More and more, I am beginning to see people arriving on time for worship and participating. More and more, I am seeing people stay and worship God around the altars, seeking his face.

God longs for us to be not only a working church but a worshipping church as well!

God created us to be worshippers! Worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Richard Farmer writes:

"I have a 95-year-old grandmother. No one has heard me preach more than three times without hearing a story about my grandmama. The saddest thing I can probably say about you is that you'll not get a chance to meet Sweetie Pie. She lives in New York City, and we are lovers. I am the second born of her 65-year-old daughter, and she makes me happy.

We talk on the phone every Sunday night no matter where I am in the world. When I talk to her or when I see her, as I will next week, it's not drudgery for me to enjoy her presence.

Over these last forty-three years, I have simply bathed in the sunlight of her presence. I don't say "Oh, I've got to go see my grandmother." It's "I get to see Sweetie Pie."

Until you stop coming to worship as if you have to see God, you'll never know what the Psalmist is talking about. He says it ought to be your delight to come up into Papa's face and enjoy his presence. It presupposes a relationship that makes you want to be there. He says, "When we have the festival, when we have our Sabbath, when we have our convocation, we ought to come with a certain gladness of heart because God is God."

It always amazes me that some expect people to wear ties to church (to use this as an example) and yet at the same time approach worship in a ritualistic, formal way.

What does the Bible say in 1 Samuel 16:7?

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."

Now neither wearing a time or not wearing a tie will draw us closer to God (don't miss the point). However, whether I wear a tie or not, it's my heart that must come prepared to connect with God.

Worship gives us the energy, the juice the power to minister effectively. It takes us beyond a mere "deciding of our will" to follow through and be faithful.

We need the Holy Spirit!

I encourage everyone to continue to be open to times of worship - to arrive on time and to consider staying as God moves.

May His Spirit fall on us!