BACK FROM CHURCH SERVICE

I just got back home from church. Attendance was way low-- perhaps the lowest in two decades! The 11AM and Vesper Services were most well attended, 800 and 500. But it's amazing how some folks choose to be in church on a stormy Sunday than anywhere else.
The height of the storm was crazy!

The Worship Leader assigned for the day has begged off since he and his family live in the low-lying eastern suburbs, and deemed it necessary for him and his family to stay at home, so did the rest of the worship team, which was totally understandable. At the first service, husband and wife team Pastor Art and Rose Handog led worship with pianist, Miriam. The rest of the band came at the second service joined by two other worship team members. By the time I arrived it was 2PM- I had to wait for flood waters in my area to subside- I played second keys for the Tagalog service. By the time it was Vesper, most of the Worship Team has arrived. I led worship at Vesper which was amazing. It was something I've not done in our Sunday services in months.

I'm so proud of Exalting Ministry Assistant, Ruby Poyos and our technical team- who normally sleeps in church Saturday nights- for handling the morning worship services so well-- even in the absence of a number of folks, myself included. I am also particularly blessed with the Band who still came despite the horrific weather. During worship as I led the singing, on the back of my mind, I was thanking God for having gifted the church with such people- with deep commitment, discernible heart for worship and always ready in season or out of season, or any season!

I pray the Lord will raise more people in the Ministry who will step up and embrace the call to lead people to deeper life of worship!

The past few weeks, I've been reading Darlene Zschech's book, Extravagant Worship where I'm reminded again that in the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy. In Him is our life, our health, our peace, our hope, our joy. He has created us so that everything we need, we find in Him! In His presence, our longing hearts are fully satisfied. We are complete. We are fulfilled. We are created for His pleasure, and this is where we find our joy. His desire is for His people, and our desire is for Him. There is a longing within us that cannot be satisfied by anything else but our intimate communion with Him. The things of this world grow strangely dim in the Light of His glory and grace. We must so desire His presence in our lives that we allow nothing to take His place or to distract us from knowing Him. He is our greatest passion. No one else, nothing else can fulfill the cry of our hearts!

And oh, I've never led worship in blue jeans in our main services 'til tonight!