Worship yesterday

We had the privilege of sharing the VOM vision with Gateway Presbyterian Church in The Dalles, Oregon, yesterday. They have 3 services each weekend: Saturday evening, plus 2 on Sunday morning. We were invited to the 2 Sunday services, where I spoke for 5 minutes and we had our resource table available. How I was able to squeeze a presentation that can easily take 20-30 minutes down into only 5 is a mystery. But it seemed to go very well. Apparently, the word had spread that I had a good presentation, because by the time it came my turn in the second service, I noticed several people had come from other parts of the building to stand in the back entrances to the sanctuary, just to hear what I shared. But that is not the focus of this post.

I have been praying that God would touch my soul afresh. I have become increasingly aware that it has been a long time since I really sensed God's presence with me. I have been walking in a dry, desert place for quite some time. I know God is with me. And my faith has not faltered. But once in a while (at the least) we just need to sense God's presence. And that is what I confessed to God and what I prayed for.

Well, their first service was a traditional Presbyterian service. Great organ music and good congregational singing. And I gave my 5 minute presentation (actually probably stretched it into 6 minutes). But the second service was more relaxed. And during the singing of praise choruses, God came to me afresh. He did not overpower me with his presence. But I sensed an assurance of his continued faithfulness through the choruses we sang. Now we have been in enough different fellowships recently, that I feel confident in saying it was not the choruses per se that did anything special--although they sang a good selection of them. But God chose to use the ones we sang as a conduit for revealing his presence with me once more.

I'm not satisfied with that however. I still pray that he will speak to me more and draw me into his presence more clearly and more fully--whatever that means.

So I'm just sharing this to give thanks and praise to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit--Three in One.