Courtesy of Sadie Schwanberg
Courtesy of Sadie Schwanberg
A couple months ago, a friend invited me to go to a Christian concert about five hours away, in Sacramento, California. I checked in with my husband, then quickly agreed to go. I love spending time with my friend, and going to concerts, and going on road trips. I knew it was going to be awesome.
As the concert got closer, I became more and more excited to go on our concert road trip. It was a performer I'd seen before, which added to the anticipation.
I kept checking the weather, mapping out our stops. Double checking the hotel amenities. Updating my playlist for the drive.
My friend and I started counting down the days, starting a week out. We discussed our outfits. She narrowed hers down to five options. I packed all three of mine.
We were building an expectation of a high energy and skilled musical performance, and we were building an expectation of communing with the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever felt this way as you head to worship on Sunday morning? Knowing that the Holy Spirit will be present and will move hearts and lives?
I'll admit, there are some Sundays where I've only gone through the motions on the way to the church building. I'm distracted, or running late, or just choose to not focus my mind. Or as we sing, I think more about the sound versus worshipping in spirit and truth by feeling the words as I sing them, meditating on God, and reaching a truly worshipful place.
Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
Has this become a little too ordinary? Mundane, even?
I think sometimes we take it for granted that the Holy Spirit dwells among us when we come to worship. Like, 'Yeah, he's here. And?' I would even dare to call it a sin when we take him for granted.
When we come to worship, we should be on fire for God, zealously worshipping, and eagerly expecting the Holy Spirit to be present and active, healing people, turning hearts, convicting sin, and changing lives for eternity.
I love the phrasing of Psalm 5:3: "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."
This Sunday, I challenge you to enter worship with excitement, knowing that THE Holy Spirit, yeah, the awe-inspiring, limitlessly powerful Holy Spirit is there.
You can know with certainty that he is with us. And that fills me with joyful trepidation to see what he's going to do next.
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