First of all, we had the most awesome service at LCC yesterday. It's difficult to explain if you haven't been there, but from up on the stage, when you look out past the lights, the thing you see is a sea of faces. Usually during the first song, the faces for the most part are just a little distracted- kind of glancing around to see who's at church, or turning off phones, or looking at bulletins. But usually by the second song, people begin to settle in and their faces change. Yesterday, particularly in the second service, you could just see a hunger and a desire for God on the faces of the people.
Almost a desperation.
What a beautiful place to be- in a state of sheer desperation for God. When we break through to that stage, that's when God begins to move and break the chains. It was all I could do to not get caught up just staring into the crowd, at the faces of so many dear friends of mine, or faces of dear potential friends- there are so many new people I haven't met yet! Watching people seek and find God is an amazing experience. And that's what went down at LCC in many lives yesterday. So LCC was a beautiful place to be in the morning.
Then I played trumpet in a cantata at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Lancaster with a large orchestra. These people are good! The string section just always blows me away. Prior to the performance as they were just tuning up, I started feeling this beauty stirring in my soul. The sounds being produced, though seemingly discordant and jumbled, were absolutely stunning to me. And then the conductor called us to attention and a 60 member choir and large orchestra began to musically tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. It was heavenly. I had the thought- only God could have invented something so awe-inspiring as music. It's absolutely amazing that He has given us such a gift. And I am wired in a way that I have always perceived and processed music emotionally. It's almost like my language. There is not a moment in the day when a song isn't going on in my head. I asked my husband if that was normal the other day, but I think we've all come to the conclusion that I'm not normal :) That's a good thing though.
So even though I was blown away by the strings and the swelling voices of the choir, one little girl's pure innocent voice singing a solo that concluded the cantata just about did me in. She sang:
Come walk with me
Into the world
As we tell The Story through our lives
Though the road we travel will not end
Walk with me
As we say Amen
And then this morning, the Pastor whose church I attended from Middle School into college- his mother passed away today. He told on Facebook of how she, in her 70's taught a Bible Club in a housing project until the group she was working with made her quit because of how dangerous the area was. She loved working with children and telling them about Jesus. As I was reading his status update about his Mom passing, I thought about what an awesome week it is to die if you're a Christian.
I mean, think about it. We try on earth to pull off these impacting, powerful Easter celebrations at our churches, but this lady is going to spend Easter (if they even have a specific designation for Easter in Heaven- it's probably more like an everyday event to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus), right there worshiping the risen and reigning King of Kings! The picture in my head of all the people in heaven gathering around our loving Savior, singing out to Him and seeing His nail scarred hands reaching out, beckoning them to celebrate and adore Him just caused me to lose it. My kids are looking at me like, what in the world is WRONG with this woman? It's just Jesus. He's causing me to completely unravel and break down the walls we build up around our hearts.
I hope you are encouraged and inspired to dive into this holy week with the realization that Jesus died for us and for His glory and He now lives and reigns on high in glory so amazing --we can't begin to fathom it. And what really chokes me up is that He's also, right here, right now in our hearts, showing us that He is our Way, our Truth, and our Life.
May we all be open to Him this week and every week.
Amen.
"And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him." John 12:24-26
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