Jenni Clayville

Today was such an awesome day!

Not only was it the first day to our new series: The Story of Everything… but Matt decided we should change stuff up. Just for fun.

We moved ALL of the music worship portion to the front end of the service. In other words, we didn’t have a “response time”. We sang 6 songs up front with a break for announcements after the first two songs (we usually do announcements at the VERY END of the service).

Here was our Sunday Setlist:

1. Evermore – Joel Houston
2. Meet With Me – Lamont Hiebert
3. Jesus Paid It All – Kristian Stanfill Version
4. I Worship You – Generation  Unleashed
5. The Stand – Joel Houston
6. Shout to the Lord – Darlene Zschech

It was really fun to mix things up, but I have to say the best part was actually having an opportunity to take 6 songs worth of time to get to a place of connection with our Creator.

After “Jesus Paid It All”, I read Psalm 5 with no musical background.  In the silence, there was nothing but the words David wrote how many years ago.  I love how he so perfectly put into words the very cry of my heart.  It was really a privilege to just sit and soak in God’s words… a whole chapter…

During “The Stand”, I asked the church to raise their arms high in surrender.  It’s SO awkward to do it when you feel like you’re the only one, but the reality is sometimes it takes us PHYSICALLY lifting up our arms in order for our hearts to follow.  It’s amazing how freeing it is to throw caution to the wind and just worship Him in reckless abandon.

Highlights: There was a woman in the room who “came home” after a long time being away.  Her story is one of being completely broken.  She, like many of us, chose a route she thought would be better and not only hurt others in the process, but really lost herself.  Today… she came home.  She came home to a gracious, loving, forgiving husband and a church family who is just glad to see her come home.  But best of all, she came home to a God who was waiting for her to let Him love her.  She bawled during most of the service.  The cry that you can’t control… I call it the “ugly cry”… yet, something about her tears were SO beautiful.  SHE IS BEAUTIFUL… and completely restored in her humility.  Today, she was baptized.  Her past is gone… her journey begins today.

I SO can relate to her story.  I, too, have gone astray.  I, too, have thought my way was better that His.  I, too, have hurt the one’s I love more than I ever intended and WAY more than they ever deserved.  Yet God is good!  He waited for me.  He waited for me to come home.  In exchange for my debts and humility, He has restored me COMPLETELY and will continue to refine me into who He has called me to be.

There IS hope, my friends.  There IS redemption.  I promise!

This is the only highlight that matters.  I have NO lowlights in today’s Worship Confessional.

How was YOUR Sunday?