Another Spiritual 2 X 4

I really love it when God slaps me upside the head with what I like to affectionately call the good old spiritual 2x4!

On Sunday morning I was simply exhausted. I had traveled 1200 miles in less than 6 days, found out about a new move, passed my commissioning interviews, encountered some negativity in some other meetings (and some tremendous affirmations to boot) and had been reflecting on the last 4 years of ministry. I asked myself questions regarding what is left to do prior to my move, what should have I done differently, etc. At the end of my time of reflection, I simply asked God to be present in worship that morning and to use me as a vessel of his mercy and grace.

On my way to the early service at the smaller of the two churches I serve, I was listening to praise and worship music on the radio (its what I do...both services at the churches I serve are traditional and I miss some of the more contemporary stuff from time to time) and heard Mighty to Save.

I was singing along to the song (yes, I'm that dorky...I am that guy)....Savior, he can move mountains, my God is mighty to save...He is mighty to save...forever, author of salvation...He rose and conquered the grave...yes Jesus conquered the grave...He is mighty to save...

The song resonated with me for the 22 minute drive from Edom to Mt. Sylvan...it was water to a thirsty soul.

We worshipped, I preached, and at the end of the service with only 22 people present, I almost opted not to have an invitation to discipleship...I paused and shared that Jesus said that those who are thirsty should come and they will receive a drink of living water, those who are weary they will receive rest, and so on. We began singing our hymn of invitation and I got lost in the singing. As I opened my eyes and looked up at the beginning of the fourth and final verse, I saw a couple standing at the front of the sanctuary.

The long and the short of it was that one transferred their membership from another church and the other joined by profession of faith restored after a long separation from the church (and after the spouse saying that they would never come to church!).

I thought about the events that had happened in the previous hour as I was returning to Edom for the second service. As I arrived I noticed that the parking lot was more full than it had been in a number of weeks...we had more than a dozen people above our normal church attendance that morning. I reflected again on the song from earlier in the morning: Everyone needs compassion...the love that's never failing...let mercy fall on me...everyone needs forgiveness...the kindness of a Savior...the hope of the nations...my God, he can move mountains....

I went home a little more tired and a little more refreshed than I had been when the day began.

Yesterday I was hanging out after Bible study and someone that had been wrestling with membership in our church (whether to join or not) for a while came up to me after the study to let me know that they and their spouse would be joining this coming weekend!

Again I heard the words: you're my Savior...you can move the mountains...you are mighty to save.

In months that have been lean when it comes to church growth in these two rural churches; in times that seem like we have gone through a lot of administration that seemed to have nothing to do at times with ministry; in times when we feel like nothing is happening...it is in these times that God continues to move.

It may not happen on our time table, but God is in our midst and is faithful to his Word. And that is my spiritual 2x4 this Lenten season (for those of you in my Bible study class this is just another classic duh-sciple moment!)...God is mighty to save!

So here's my question for the readers: What mountain is the Savior moving in your midst?