i want to write about how i have been blessed this past year or so...we are at a new church, called Bridgeway. it is not church of christ, there is a loud worship band and people worship how they want- its crazy(well, for us c of c'ers), and we love it. i have never experienced jesus and his grace like i have since weve been there. i can feel his presence as soon as we begin to worship and i literaly, get goosebumps every sunday. they ask people to come forward toward the end of services and people pray over you and it is a time of healing and intimacy. how come ive never experienced this before? ive always known jesus and have had a close relationship with him, but now its on a whole different level. i am often brought to tears during the worship time and it isnt tears brought out by the emotional experience, it is tears that i cant stop, brought out by being in the close, devine presence of jesus. tears that are brought out because i am speaking words of adoration to him- right to him, and i can feel him right there, soaking it up.
the wierd part is that ive never liked having loud instruments durring worship, i want to be able to hear myself, hear everyone else. but i have found that now i love the strings or horns or whatever else, i actualy like that is a bit louder than i used to prefer. as a girl who was always in choir, always enjoyed music, i have always been caught up in the melody, am i hitting the right notes, are my harmonies sounding ok? now, i can focus on the actual words im speaking and i could care less what i sound like, im just blending in to what is an amazing heavenly sound!
ive also found that i like to worship with my eyes closed, all the time. when my eyes are open, im watching the worship leaders, watching the little girls dancing in the isle, seeing which friends are here ect, but as soon as i close my eyes i am brought to a place where it is just me and god and there are no distractions.
now that i have experienced things like this and know how good it can be, how i long to go to church, how refreshing it is to leave the building and feel completley filled up, i want everyone to be able to find their "Bridgeway". i hope that all of you out there in bloglandia are going to a church that gives you goosebumps every sunday, and if youre not- find it! dont settle for any less than goosebumps.
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7 comments:
iiiiii think the goosebumps (aren't you supposed to call them goosepimples now that you are a mid-westerner?) mean that you've found your grown up church. I get gooseBUMPS (cause I'm still in the Northwest) when I put on my new heels. That is because I have found my new groin-up heels (haha... that's funny). Either that, or they are cutting of the circulation and I am in real danger of loosing my feet...
Tara, I found my Bridgeway. You might have heard about it. Renovatous.
YAY for God! I sure like him, and I like that he is goosebump worthy! I would have to say that no matter where I end up "worshiping" there are goose bumps there too. He's cool like that!
I am so glad and happy for you in Jesus that you have found a church that gets you! Not everyone is able to find such a thing... rejoice in it! And enjoy it! It's pretty scary and uncomfortable when God takes you else-where to bring the goosebumps to others!
(sorry.. my comment to you is WAY TOO "coming out of my own circumstances" and may feel... weired. But I think they are still good words, so I will still share them. Just know that there is NO "holier than thou-ness" in my heart. I am truely happy for you... maybe a little envious too.)
God is good. I am very thankful for your church. I am thankful for how you present Jesus to me. I want to live that way as well. Rock on!
Tara, I'm so glad (and a teeny bit envious) that you've found a church home that is really a home. Everyone should be able to experience that.
P.S. It's RECIPE day! YAY! (Not to nag you or anything...)
I wish I could feel what you all are feeling instead of self-doubt, skepticism, and some dismay.
Woodsky, is it not amazing to anxiously anticipate Sundays! In a year's time, Renovatus has gone from 15 to 70, and I like that ... HOWEVER ... part of me thinks, "How is it that all our members aren't bringing every friend and family member they know? Why aren't there 200 people here? How do I tell people how amazing Jesus is?!"
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