I’m no different than you.  Sometimes I attend worship and I’m tired and distracted, and I miss something in terms of deep connection with God.  I’m thankful to be there week in and week out for the opportunities to observe God at work in special ways.  Sunday was one of those times.  The worship songs we sang not only helped us worship, but set us up for the preaching and the Lord’s Supper.  Our children led us in a rousing version of Rich Mullins’ song “That Where I Am”.  It was from the text of the sermon.  The sermon was from John 14:1-6 - a favorite text of mine and one with such rich meaning.

I was done preaching and listening to Tag prepare us for communion when one more “magical moment” occurred.  I realized that we had plenty of servers for communion, and I decided I’d go back to sit with my daughter Anna who was home from college.  I had assumed she was sitting alone since Caron had to be at her preschool last Sunday.  I walked to the back and noticed a handsome young boy sitting next to her.  This boy has been at GCC his whole life, and knows Anna and our family very well.  He saw that Anna was sitting alone and asked his parents if he could go sit with her.  Anna was touched and so was I when I got back there!  I enjoyed standing next to him and made sure he knew how much Jesus loved him!

Let’s just say my heart was in a softened state at that moment.  God could have asked anything of me right then!  But there was more! As communion was being enjoyed more, we sang the William Cowper hymn “There is a Fountain”. Cowper (pronounced Cooper) struggled with severe depression all his life.  He was known in general for his poetry, but also wrote many hymns.  His close association with John Newton, pastor and writer of Amazing Grace, is another note of interest.  Newton (unlike his portrayal in the otherwise stellar movie, Amazing Grace)  was a joy-filled man.  They balanced each other out.  One was the sun, the other the shadow.  Words like these moved me deeply:

E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

Indeed, may redeeming love be my theme and yours till we die.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

In Him,

Don