|
Dear friends,
Sometimes life hands you unexpected gifts, and this week mine came in the middle of a board meeting, of all places. We'd gathered for a meal in a lovely home, and as the "business portion" of our meeting began, the chair of the board introduced Ann Marie McPhail as a gift for the evening. Without a word, this angular sophisticated African-American woman took a deep breath and with no accompaniment began to sing:
My Lord calls me;
He calls me by the thunder;
The trumpet sound within my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.
Green trees are bending;
Poor sinner stands a-trembling,
The trumpet sound within my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.
Tombstones are bursting;
Poor sinner stands a-trembling,
The trumpet sounds within my soul,
I ain't got long to stay here.
Steal away, steal away,
Steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away home,
I ain't got long to stay here.
Her diction was perfectly controlled, her voice crystal clear, and the combination transformed a family den in suburban Atlanta into sacred space. It was an experience of beauty and unity, a moment when God clearly drew near.
I think that's how it works....when we least expect it, God draws near, in moments of beauty and love, compassion and grace. Yet, often times, we act as if it all depends upon us. We study, pray, and search. We read devotionals, subscribe to blogs and travel to sacred places all in hopes of encountering the divine. And yet the witness of scripture is that God actually draws close to us, comes to us in whatever mountain top or hell we make our home. The challenge then is to notice, to pay attention.
In addition, this Sunday we'll be hosting this year's highly streamlined Mission Auction Celebration. There will be no silent bidding but many black box (one-chance bidding only) and a number of exciting live auction items which you can read about here.
I hope you'll come. It will be fun, and it's the primary driver for our congregation's mission trips. If you plan well, you can also get great destination spots for family vacations and other endeavors.
See you this weekend,
Bob Henderson, senior minister | 
