Final Sunday at LWC

Yesterday was my last Sunday at Living Waters. Tonight, I'll attend my last session meeting at LWC. Then, tomorrow evening we'll meet with our realtor in Florence and make final arrangements before we close on our house on Wednesday. Wednesday night, Laura and I will attend a Jubilee dinner for world missions.

Sunday was a memorable day. It was a privilege to be able to play with the band one last time and preach on God's calling in our lives. The Session very graciously gave me a going away present- a new Geneva Gown to use in my ministry at Effingham Presbyterian. My wife Laura also surprised me with a set of mugs (pictured) signed by all of our friends at LWC.

As much fun as it was to celebrate together one last time, our ultimate purpose was to worship the Lord and celebrate Him. When we celebrate in worship together, we are refreshed and renewed for the coming week. In yesterday's case, I feel renewed and refreshed for the coming years, having had a chance to be with the good folks at LWC as we celebrated what God has done at Living Waters, and what He is preparing to do at Living Waters and Effingham. The sense of a connectional spirit was palpable as we all affirmed how we are united in service for God's Kingdom no matter where we may be in that kingdom.

The Gift of Worship

In this month's issue of Collide Magazine (www.collidemagazine.com) Gary Molander of Floodgate Productions writes, "In our day, 'great worship' has become something that moves my heart, not something that moves his."

It's a concept as old as "Church" itself, and yet we still face this on a daily basis (or weekly basis, in terms of Sunday worship): Why do we go to worship?

The opening question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks this:
Q: "What is the chief end of man?"
A: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever."
This should inform our Heart of Worship as well.

My favorite portion of the article was Molander's comparison of corporate worship to being the guest at a birthday party:
"In corporate worship...competing desires show up with power and passion-- the simultaneous desires to outwardly give something, and to inwardly receieve. We bring gifts to give the celebrated birthday Boy (worship), and we end up wanting to keep these gifts for ourselves.