Our Other Home
Church is fun! It's the way it should be. The one constant message in the Bible is the God loves us and wants us to be happy. It's funny when one talks about "God" and "happiness" together the happiness part seems to take on a tinge of unhappiness. But, ya know, happiness? Singing and dancing and laughing and smiling and joy and all is well with the world and sitting back, feet up, with that contented look.... Happiness, it's what we all want. It's only when we don't follow His instructions that things go haywire.
With this in mind Wanda and I headed to the "jam" at the little church we attend in Willis, Va. It's not one of these mega-churchs with hundreds of members but rather a small country church with a small, but a totally blessed, congregation who may turn up in blue jeans and work shirts. Outward appearance is not a priority. And within that group is an amazing number of musically talented members.
So Sunday night it was guitars, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, drums and the piano. Several groups sang and played the country gospel standards with a quality only found in these mountains where making music for the Lord has been a tradition handed down for generations. After attending more formal church's in Baltimore it was a surreal experience which made for true worship. All this accompanied by much hand clapping and foot tapping; we were alive and more important enjoying feeling alive.
People sang solos as they felt moved and my wife did a splendid job on "Amazing Grace". I must say her shyness to do so was only overcome when I threatened to get up and add my voice to the proceedings. Those of you who have not heard me sing are among the truly blessed. My voice has been described as a "joyful noise".
We are so thankful to have found this place to worship and for the way we have been embraced by the church family. So far we have been called numerous times by members to inquire about our well being. In the large church I attended for years in Baltimore serving on the church council that never happened...not even once. We have heard first person accounts of miraculous healing and other wonders worked by our God who led us here and has drawn us closer to Him. As Wanda said last night, this is the first church where I've felt at home, and I agree, we're home.
With this in mind Wanda and I headed to the "jam" at the little church we attend in Willis, Va. It's not one of these mega-churchs with hundreds of members but rather a small country church with a small, but a totally blessed, congregation who may turn up in blue jeans and work shirts. Outward appearance is not a priority. And within that group is an amazing number of musically talented members.
So Sunday night it was guitars, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, drums and the piano. Several groups sang and played the country gospel standards with a quality only found in these mountains where making music for the Lord has been a tradition handed down for generations. After attending more formal church's in Baltimore it was a surreal experience which made for true worship. All this accompanied by much hand clapping and foot tapping; we were alive and more important enjoying feeling alive.
People sang solos as they felt moved and my wife did a splendid job on "Amazing Grace". I must say her shyness to do so was only overcome when I threatened to get up and add my voice to the proceedings. Those of you who have not heard me sing are among the truly blessed. My voice has been described as a "joyful noise".
We are so thankful to have found this place to worship and for the way we have been embraced by the church family. So far we have been called numerous times by members to inquire about our well being. In the large church I attended for years in Baltimore serving on the church council that never happened...not even once. We have heard first person accounts of miraculous healing and other wonders worked by our God who led us here and has drawn us closer to Him. As Wanda said last night, this is the first church where I've felt at home, and I agree, we're home.
posted by The MacBean Gene at 8:39 AM
4 Comments:
Oh, what a joyful place to be worshipping and growing with friends.
I don't know many places where people love and care for each other even near as much as your church seems to foster.
So, God is blessing you much and also blessing me much to hear about you and your wife and your church!!!
See you, Betty G
That sounds wonderful. Our preacher preached on God and happiness a couple of Sundays ago. It was a great sermon.
There is something about music that reaches deep in my soul. I play on the praise team (keyboard/piano) and sometimes people will come up to me and ask me if I miss worshiping (they mean singing...I can't sing and play at the same time). I'm always amazed by that because for me, playing is worshiping. I can express myself to Him so much better in music than in voice (joyful noise matches my voice, also.)
That is soooooo wonderful that you have found a church "home"! What a blessing! God is definitely the source of true joy! It is only with Him that we can be truly happy. :)
Now see...
THAT'S what I'm talking about!
Let everything that has breath sing a JOYFUL song unto the Lord.
Sounds like you had a great time -- thanks for sharing!
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