A couple of weeks ago during a Sunday morning service all the songs were about God's grace... "Your grace is enough, your grace is enough, your grace is enough for me!" then on to "Your grace still amazes me, your love is still a mystery, each day I get on my knees 'cause your grace still amazes me!" and lastly, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..." Pastor then spoke from the text found in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave..."
I was distracted during the whole service by a man... I know what you're thinking "Ooh-la-la!" haha, but no... I was distracted in a wonderful way, perhaps even more so than if I were starring at my soul-mate (although I can barely imagine ;o)) I was so enveloped in thought of his worship. He was bowing low in humility toward his healer, dancing in praise out of passionate admiration of his comforter and clapping and praising God with a loud voice for all he has done!
Now, this kind of worship is quite common for him (and a lot of others at Capital Community) and usually I am not quite as distracted, rather I am involved in my own worship to the same, one, true God. But this Sunday was different, I couldn't take my eyes off of the display of love for God... It's as if the trust being expressed through worship could almost be seen flowing in the atmosphere. I have never been so touched by the respect and worship toward Jesus by any other human being.
Genesis 22:1-3 God's call to Abraham to sacrifice not only the most important thing in his life but the one tangible promise of God fulfilled, the one thing Abraham would do anything to protect and hold onto, the only thing Abraham would have given his own life for without one moment of contemplation... "Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about."
You see, Pastor George has been through a long, hard battle the past year or so... He and his soul-mate, best-friend and wife walked up their own Mount Moriah when they were told she had a very aggressive cancer shortly after they moved to Canada. The expense of medications for her comfort were overwhelming for the family. His wife, such a sweet being, humble, beautiful, kind, passionate for Jesus, loving, caring and welcoming... I couldn't understand why something so terrible would happen to such a lovely person, I can only imagine being in the shoes of the family. Don't get me wrong, I too have lost my great grandfather, grandmother, and two uncles to the dreaded disease... But a wife, a mother... It had only been the week before pastor George had laid his wife to rest in the same sanctuary, like Abraham willing to sacrifice his own broken heart to love the great I AM. Pastor George's love, passion, respect and trust in the sovereign God drove him to worship in his time of mourning and it was a beautiful moment to behold!
I had to share this with my readers, I pray it touched your heart as it did mine. Please take a moment of contemplation and prayer with me "If I had to face my own Mount Moriah as Abraham and Pastor George would my love, passion, respect and trust in God show through my broken worship? Could I bring my sacrifice, something so important to me, to the alter only to please you God? Would I remain a person after God's own heart and keep seeking your face, Jesus? And if not, Lord, I pray you change me, help me to recognize the things that come between you and I, to realize they are really of little importance compared to you and give me strength to remove those things from my life. Jesus I love you, help me, grow me, mold me, change me and break me if necessary to make me love you more..."
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