An Incredible Moment

OK, so writing with any consistency on a blog doesn't seem to be my strong point.  However, there are so many things that are happening within the local body of believers that I get the privilege of walking alongside that I felt like I needed to try to get some momentum going and write down at least some small part of it...

I'll start with an incredible moment in one of our Sunday morning gatherings.  One of the negatives that come with preaching through books of the Bible is that I'm forced to deal with passages from which I would otherwise stay far, far, far away.  So, as we made our way through the Gospel of Mark this spring, didn't we come upon a whole chapter devoted to the return of Christ.  A whole chapter!  There was no good way to circumvent that one.  Tough to loop an entire chapter into another sermon and, say, focus on the three obscure verses at the end of the previous chapter.  (Not that I spent a few hours trying to make that happen... I'm just saying...)  Anyway, the fateful Mark 13 Sunday was approaching, and we began to discuss the flow of the worship gathering for that morning.

Now, it's important to note that we are blessed to have an incredible team of worship leaders.  Seriously.  I'm not just saying that because a few of them might read this.  Really--they're incredible.  The level of gifting and passion and musical ability and creative energy that they bring to our worship gatherings is seriously impossible to overstate.  Any one of them could be a worship pastor and primary worship leader at some big  church somewhere, but God has graciously allowed us to be led by them for this season.  Granted, that's a slight digression from my point, but it's important.  Here's why...

This Sunday one of our incredibly gifted leaders, Abbie Horsman, was leading.  Now, Abbie has a killer voice.  Like - wow.  It's an instrument in and of itself.  But her voice might be secondary to her gifting with words.  She's a great writer and speaker, not only thinking deeply and poetically, but expressing it in a way that lets us all have a peek at the beauty that's in her mind.  It's a very cool thing.  So, as I was lamenting about how much detail to include in a controversial topic like the return of Jesus that has provided a soapbox for dozens of nut jobs over the years, she was captured by the important part of the text - that Jesus was actually, literally, gloriously coming back.  Like, for real.  And as she thought through that, she had this thought - what about writing a new verse to the Christmas hymn "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" that focuses on the return of Christ?  And... to add a little challenge... why not write it during the worship gathering?  And... just in case that was too simple... what it we invited the congregation to "write" the hymn by listing words and phrases which captured their feelings about Jesus' return - and then Abbie would write the new verse using those words?

So, that Sunday, we pulled a big whiteboard out with some markers, and invited people to write.

That leads us up to the moment.  It was in our 10:30 gathering, and as always, there were kids galore.  The bane of the existence of many of our young parents is the philosophical decision that we should worship along with our children before they go to age specific teaching - so worship at the 10:30 gathering is always a bit interesting.  At first, a few people came forward and wrote a few words.  Then, a few more.  Then, there was an older woman who came to the front - walking wasn't an easy process for her, but she made her way to the board anyway.  About that time, a five year old boy moved toward the front as well.  Now, five year old boys and whiteboards usually bring poorly drawn cartoons which ultimately become scribbling when the cartoon doesn't come out right.  I was fully anticipating making a move toward the eraser.  But as he approached, the look on his face was serious.  Intense even.  He was in the moment, and there would be no cartoon today.  As I watched from the other side of the room, there was this beautiful moment - an older woman on the right side of the board, a five year old boy on the left side of the board, both of them laying out their longing for the return of their Savior.  My eyes brimmed with tears as I watched.

In a world where children are babysat by video games, teenagers are released into the virtual reality of their virtual worlds, young adults are selfishly captured by their own issues and agendas, parents are competing with one another over the success of their children, empty-nesters are padding their retirement and playing with the big toys that they had to give up for a decade of soccer practices, and older folks are relegated to homes, the church must be the place where we bridge the gaps.  Because we are one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, as the old chorus says, we have the opportunity to value one another as a new society.  We can move past generational preferences and stereotypes, and truly connect to one another.

In that moment, I saw a picture of the possibility.

The verse was written.  It was incredible.  Abbie used the words she was given: the words of the senior saint and the words of the five year old boy.  And we sang them with joy.  A sermon was preached.  It was fine, but honestly, no one remembers it.  The message was already there for all to see - there's a Kingdom that's coming, but in some ways and in some places, that Kingdom is already here.

Several of you have asked for the lyrics that were written that day. Here they are:

Dying once and conquering evil
Dying on a blood-stained tree
Dying to redeem Your people
Risen now in victory
As we look for your returning
Stir in us our need for Thee
May our hearts in joyful longing
Find in You our hope and peace

Fearful wonder, joyful longing
Fill us as we wait for Thee
Face to face on that day dawning
Glorious Hope, we'll finally see
Every sorrow, every tear
Wiped away as we bow at Your throne
Fully free from sin and fear
Fully knowing, finally home