The Sunday after a very low attended Sunday, this was because of weather, can have a little different feeling sometimes, but yesterday was a very good day. So here are a few of my musings this morning …

-God showed up in a powerful way during our worship service yesterday. Love it when that happens. This was one of those times that everyone saw and felt it.

-We had a spontaneous time of testimonies during the service and it was powerful. If memory serves me correctly there were 9 different people who shared during that time of our worship. The best was a wonderful man who last week had to place his wife of 64 years into assisted living. He shared that she told him she is ready to meet the Lord whenever he is ready to take her. Wow! This is a couple who have served this church generously for decades. He had tears streaming down his face all during the service and after he spoke everyone else did as well.

-Our time of singing really set the tone for the whole service. The way the songs flowed together, the power of the words, the sweet spirit of those leading and the great passion of the people’s singing made for great worship.

-We shared communion together at the close of our worship and this was one of those times where you could sense that people were really thinking of what Christ did for them and were humbly rejoicing as they remembered.

-I felt a little rushed as I preached yesterday. With the testimonies and knowing we were closing with communion my time was shorter, and that is okay. The other things that happened spoke much better than I could and I planned for a shorter message, but I still felt rushed. It was my own feeling, not something from anyone else, but I hate when I do that to myself. Because then I know I don’t communicate as well.

-Our attendance was back up to just above our average. I was reviewing some things this morning and realized that ¼ of those in attendance were not attending here when I arrived a year ago. Most of that is a positive about our growth, but I have to also acknowledge that we are missing some who have left during that same time.

-I loved having a new family come up to me and ask a question about the passage of scripture I used in my message. They are following the reading plan I gave to read through the Bible in a year. The passage they just read the day before was the same event I shared Sunday but from a different passage. They had a question at home as they read it and then again when I preached and came directly to me for clarification. I love that they are reading the Word and reading it for understanding. That made this pastor’s heart soar.

-We had a very good time of study, discussion and fellowship in our small group last night. We had some people attend who had not been to the group previously. We also had a brand new group begin yesterday and I got a text from the leader of that group last night and it sounds like it was a good beginning. We have been praying and planning on really expanding and increasing the number of groups we have and the number of people involved in this important ministry.

-We have had so many people with illnesses, injuries and difficult diagnosis in the past few months that at times it has felt overwhelming. I love how our people have reached out to so many of them to help and how they are praying for all of them. It is a joy to pastor a group that is willing to act on the concern they express.

-We are 4 weeks from a series of special meetings with an outside minister coming to speak. We call these meetings a revival. My prayer is that there will be some real reviving take place in those who are already here and that it will spill over to some that do not yet attend.

Here’s hoping you have a week of seeing and sensing God’s power and presence.

Dennis