Let's Celebrate!

First of all, let me apologize for the brevity of last week's content. While I wish I could have expounded further on Dueber Church, as well as explore some other topics God has laid on my heart recently, the days quickly evaded me, and my schedule did not allow for the thoroughness I would have preferred. That said, this week will hopefully be different, as well as forthcoming weeks, and I expect to have more time to commit to this exploration we've embarked on together.

Per our initial schedule, Hannah and I attended a service at New Life Tabernacle, in Massillon, Ohio this past Sunday night. Though my prior schema of Sunday evening services is that they are somewhat lacking, the Pentecostal congregation at New Life pulled out all the stops to worship God, as they doubtless do on a regular basis.

The evening was, in a word, loud. The style of uninhibited worship into which the congregation at New Life was led is the kind of worship I've only seen teenagers experience at massive youth conferences. Nonetheless, from four elementary-age girls joining hands in worship of our God, to the elderly man bouncing and dancing in his pew, the people of God were engaged in unabashed, wall-shaking worship of Him, our all-consuming Fire.

The sermon was no-less excited, as the pastor challenged us, the people of God, to let 2013 be a year of resurrected promises. Whether that be claiming God's promises to heal sickness, to save the lost, or to reconcile relationships. he emphasized our need for an unshakable, living faith in the works God has promised to do.

Again, I have to admit that my own preconceived notions of a Pentecostal service planted seeds of skepticism and criticism in my heart from the onset. And sitting in the pew next to Hannah before the service started, I asked God to change my heart in that moment, and in that moment, God changed my heart. I worshiped God like I hadn't worshiped in a long time. While the emotional experiences pushed in a Pentecostal worship setting are often downplayed by the more fundamental thinkers in the Church, there is an absolutely invaluable aspect to experiencing the Spirit moving through my body, heart, and mind the way I felt Sunday night. I left there wondering what some of the others churches I've attended, even the one in which I grew up, are missing out on in this manner. The kind of celebration that ensued at New Life Sunday night, through vibrant vocals and explosive music, simply didn't happen at my church growing up. And while I understand that major life decisions made amidst a high-energy, high-emotion setting like that can often times lack credibility, I don't doubt that God's Spirit arouses our emotions and turns our hearts to Him in very real ways therein.

Other parts of the service that I don't experience often, and that I feel like, as the body, we don't do nearly enough, were testimonies. Several men and women stood and shared how God had been moving and working in their lives.

When was the last time I gave testimony to God for the work He's doing in my life?

When was the last time you did?

Furthermore, the leadership at New Life both sang and preached against the power of Hell. In my head, sometimes I develop child-like daydreams of how the spiritual realm is reacting to the goings-on in the physical world around us, and I must emphasize that I fully believe that Satan and his demons were royally frustrated by the rejoicing the church was doing in the victory of Christ over all things. It's laughable, really, to think how much credence we give our Enemy when the Spirit of God through Paul made it abundantly clear that Christ has disarmed the powers of darkness entirely. To put it another way, they have nothing on the people of God! And New Life celebrated that victory on Sunday night.

It was refreshing and emotionally rejuvenating to worship God and celebrate the body of Christ in that way. I know I haven't asked for feedback directly before, but I am curious, now, what God has been doing in your lives. I know I have at least one or two readers who have something about which to testify. Why not utilize this virtual public space to do just that? Tell us how God has been working in your lives. Let us celebrate together as the body of Christ!