So today is Random Day.
(by the way..does anyone remember saying "It's Opposite Day!" and negating everything you said when you were a little kid just to get on people's nerves??)
I also put a random picture of a bear cub on here. Cute, but nevertheless, random.
Anyway.....Easter break is coming to a close and now I'm thinking of how bothersome the post-break small talk can get. People always say, "So....how was your break??!!" That gets kinda annoying to me after about the 250th time....so this time I've decided to change things up a bit. When people ask me that I'm going to turn the conversation in this direction:
"Hey! Did you have a good break??!"
"Oh I so did! I found out I'm pregnant!!! Can you believe it???"
Yeah...should be pretty funny. But please...for the sake of all, please change your post-break questions to something better than the typical. Thanks.
Ok now that that's over, I'll tell about campus church this week. It was a communion service for Easter, so it was amazing. I got to be in the worship choir that helped David McKinney lead worship with the campus praise band. It was so awesome and God was definitely dwelling there in the praises of His people. We'd practiced for two days and went through the song sets over and over, so on the final night there were no empty distractions. I'm convinced that lack of preparation can be one of the biggest stumbling blocks to true worship. Of course, God can always work in spontaneity with songs and prayer, but one of the key principles is Worship Preparation.
We walked in and the lights were dimmed. There were candles all around on the floor, and a huge cross formed by tables holding the elements. We all sat down and verses were put up on the screens about examining your heart for any sin. So after a time of prayer and confession, Dwayne Carson got up to speak about the cross. We each had an opportunity to write our names on a paper cross, and our crime: being a sinner. He then invited us to come to the cross and lay our paper crosses down, because Jesus bore our cross for us. We approached the tables and layed our sin down and took up the bread and juice. Isaiah 53 was flashing up on the screens while we ate the bread and drank the juice. "For He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." With those words pounding in my mind and the implications of all I had done to condemn Him resounding, I could do nothing but be filled with deep gratitude and love for my Savior.
After we took the elements, it was the time for thanksgiving. We all stood up and started singing,
The enemy's been defeated
Death couldn't hold You down
We're gonna lift our voice in victory
We're gonna make your praises loud
As the music built, everyone started cheering in victory and singing as loud as they could. The sound was deafening but thrilling. After that song was done, we went on to others that thanked God for being good to us. The celebration grew and progressed as time went on, and by the end of the service, I was completely surrendered to God.
"'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him."
-Mark 16:6
"4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you."
-2 Corinthians 13:4
