This is a picture of the text I sent out around 2pm on Saturday to my staff & advisory team (auto correct in full effect!). I also sent a Facebook message to a few folks as well. I very rarely send this kind of message out – but the weight of my thoughts and emotions were overwhelming, and I knew that I needed folks to intercede in prayer for this past weekend – if we wanted to experience what God had in store for us.
For those that may have missed one of our service this past weekend, I’ll give you the brief recap. I was speaking on sex & sexuality in our series “Boy Meets Girl”. I was focused on the Oneness God created through sex in the Garden, the brokenness we experience because of sin and the fall, and the hope that Oneness can be found and redeemed in God’s Love. I really felt that God had something in store for us, but also felt the weight of spiritual opposition of this kind of message reaching our church. I called for prayer. Services went great… until the last one on Sunday morning…
No one could have expected what happened. The rain was bad enough to keep some folks from making the trip to church that morning. Some folks even texted us and said – I’m just gonna watch the live stream today. However, right after our 9:30 services as we all flowed out into the lobby and folks were getting their kids from Kidstreet – the power went out. Like, all the power in the whole building. No one seemed to panic because we had so much natural light coming in the lobby and kids rooms to flood out to the hallway and no one was in our 2 auditoriums where there are no windows. Once we checked the breakers, we began to get a few texts from folks telling us that an accident had caused a power pole to go down at the corner of Sam Furr and Northcross. We knew the power was not coming back on. God had something in store for us…
Our leaders sprung into action. Our staff and key ministry leaders met for a brief pow-wow in the lobby for a quick PLAN B discussion about how to pull off our 11:15 service. (it was just like a huddle on the football field). NOTE: I’m so proud of our team. They really are the best church leaders around! Once we split up, I watched a contagious swell of excitement spread across volunteers and folks began to pitch in. We had 10 min to change, adjust, and alter our services as people slowly arrived and wondered what was in store for our 11:15 service. It was incredible. THE FACEBOOK POST BELOW SAYS IT ALL.
As I reflected on this weekend, I remembered my text on Saturday. God DID have something in store for us. For some, it was a small gathering on Saturday night in Cornelius @Kadifit. For others, it was a full out service with live captured video (so that others this week can hear the message for the first time – http://vimeo.com/65174888), and for others it was a scaled down, acoustic, emergency light and candle lit service where everyone sat in the right side of the auditorium. Each service with the common thread dedicated to worshiping and celebrating God’s Fame, and a message that I believe set men & women free to talk about sex & oneness the way God designed it. God knew what each of us needed and had something amazing in store for us.
I believe God has something in store for us each Sunday as we gather to worship Him, and experience the freedom He desires for us. He moves in all places (small gatherings at a start up campuses, full tilt services with video recordings, and dimly lit rooms with a raspy voiced preacher), and ALWAYS has something in store for those who come with ears to hear, and a heart to respond.
I pray that each one of us will always come to Journey expecting that God has something in store for us… I love my church!
Cornelius Campus 5pm @KadiFit
9:15 Huntersville (and Video)
11:15am Huntersville
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