The Act of Worship

Worship is glorifying God with our voices and hearts.  Today is the biggest day of worship for the church, the day that we commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, through whom we have been saved.  One thing I like about being here in Brazil is that the people are so expressive.  The worship is expressive and the people put their hearts out there, not caring who sees or what they think. 

Saturday night and Sunday morning, our church had a worship celebration at our Altamira Training center.  It was an incredible time of worship and experiencing the presence of God.  We lent out our truck to run some errands and by the time we got it back, it was 8:30pm.  But, Daniel, Caleb, and I headed out for an evening of worship.  It was one of those God moments - I could see clearly why the investment of building the training center was worth it and how it would pay dividends for generations.  I love that thought- doing a work that will embrace generations.   That is the heart of God, that is the work of the church.   As I stood back and watched 200+ people ecstatically worshiping the one God, it touched my heart.  It is a dream coming to fulfillment. 

We worshiped until about 10:30pm when we broke for a bit of dinner.  And then, it was homeward bound for the Simon clan.  But, about 120 people stayed at the camp to sleep while the rest headed back to town. 

Then this morning we returned for more worship and a word about the significance of the resurrection for our lives.  And, of course,  about 250 pounds of  BBQ  beef:)  There is nothing like a Brazilian BBQ.  We had killed the fatted calf and had a blast.  There were easily 300+ for our lunch today and it was just a great time of fellowship. 

I do have say, our God is a good God and good gifts come from Him.  What a wonderful moment to celebrate all He has done in our favor, how He has sought us to make part of His family.   My hope is that Christ and all he has done for us becomes more of a reality each day.

This is easily my favorite photo of the evening, as much for the story of this girl's life as for the emotion of the image.  Just a year ago, she was a pregnant, single teen.  God brought her salvation into her life, brought her into a marriage relationship with the father of her child and brought the father into the church.  Now, they raise their baby in a Christian home and she has begun to minister in simple ways in the church.  God delights in changing lives and changing our stories.   

Comments

[Lance]

After celebrating Easter with only my best friend (http://webel.net/archives/941), your description of corporate worship literally brought tears in my eyes. Even from China, I felt like part of the family ... thanks, Bud!

[Annissa]

Interesting to know.