First Day at PPSEL

It is Aspen Ridge Church's first worship service in our new location. The energy is palpable. Set up, sound, worship and ‘Kids for Christ’ folks are figuring out where things should go or even be plugged in.  The ingenious wrap the drums in wrestling mats to quiet their volume in a gym that tends to echo.  KFC teachers are figuring out which room is best for what. Ron is discovered, standing in the gym listening for noise bleed, from the room next door. The refreshment folks are finding the right place and the right table to set up their array of sweets and energy boosters. Same be said for the Communion and critical books arrangement. The energy and hustle & bustle about the place is electrifying, electrifying! It strikes me that this is so like the Holy Spirit working through Christ's body, the church! Sometimes, it seems, we drag our sorry butts to church hoping that God will somehow miraculously supersize our energy. Or we do the Sunday morning debate - ‘should I even go to church today’? Have we considered that simply arriving at church is not the end game? Participating in church is a celebrative overflow of God’s goodness in my life.  Make an offering of worship before the King of Glory! Engage God's Spirit in service and worship. I pray each Sunday during worship that God will energize my preaching and open hearts to His Word. I pray that out of the riches of God's glory He would grant us inner power that Christ would dwell (be there!) in and among us, so that we would recognize the breadth of His love. (Ephesians 3:16,17) What a gathering - when we come expecting Christ and engaging in ministry! 

I hear noise in the gym. Set up is going down. Refreshments are being set out. Children are about! I hear music playing. The sound and joy of worship is rising. Praise God - it's Sunday!