It’s hard to have grace when you have ten minutes left to practice three songs, the musicians are still trying to get the sound man to adjust the monitors, the singers are staring into space, the projectionist is frantically typing up the songs in time for service, and the pastor suddenly requests that you sing a new song that no one knows for altar call. It’s very difficult to have grace when your drummer messes up the tempo, the musicians start playing funky chords, someone is out of tune, the projectionist put up totally wrong lyrics, or you mess up by starting the song in the wrong key.
It’s easy to beat yourself up over mistakes that could have been avoided. It’s easy to blame everyone for their lack of commitment or their lack of practice or their lack of whatever that would have made it better. It’s easy to go home disheartened and think, “But I didn’t feel anything during worship at all. What did I do wrong?”
But that’s the thing about Christianity, see? That’s the thing about a God who came down to earth to save us from our sins - and to save us from ourselves. Because we know that even when we mess up - especially when we mess up - He’s ready to forgive us and give us a second chance.
And we live knowing that we may have totally messed up the worship set or we could have been so busy the whole week and really not prepared enough or we could have come knowing that really, all I’ve felt this week is pride and I don’t really know if I’m ready to worship or if I’m actually qualified to lead people into worship - but He lets us do it anyway. Over and over and over again.
And He breaks through to us and to the church despite ourselves, despite our weaknesses, despite our failures.
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About the book:
Jane Hays has been told all her life that it’s dangerous to be out in the forest past sundown. At fifteen, she’s quite sure that it’s all old wives’ tales... yet, why does her village bar the gates every night? Why do they even have gates? When she is caught in an unexpected rainstorm on her way home, Jane ignores all the warnings and seeks shelter in a cottage in the middle of the forest. Soon, she is caught up in a world of magic and beauty – and in the storm of the Fairy Queen’s wrath.
The Fairy Queen is out for blood. There have been intruders – human intruders – in her domain and she will stop at nothing to find them and kill them. After all, it is only fair. She is only seeking retribution for the death that humans leave in their wake.
But Jane isn’t all that she seems to be. And the events of the night aren’t as innocent as they appear.
A tale of magic, fairy creatures and family, Coexist is a novella for the young and the young-at-heart.
When the Spirit shows up for a service, suddenly everything seems perfect! And He has promised whereever two or more are gathered He will be there! Some of the most touching and moving parts of the song service I have experienced were delivered by someone who could barely carry a tune or someone who was so hoarse from a cold they could barely sing. Or maybe the tape messed up and they had to do it a Capella. Perhaps it is the same as with teaching, which I have done, you prepare the very best you know how to and then before you begin you give it to God and tell Him to make is His own. I have been led to set all my notes aside and speak on something totally unrelated. Every time I have been faithful to listen, someone there really needed what the lesson was changed to. Praise Our Awesome God!
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Oh yes. That's exactly it!
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