Sunday

Today I felt a burden lift off my shoulders that I didn't really know I was carrying. In my life, there is stress from illness in my family, financial stress, and anger as a result of relationships at work. Some of my work stress spills over into my personal life. I didn't know how angry I was or how overburdened until I got two or three songs in to the worship service, and I started really singing to God. Sometimes the Spirit allows me to enter into worship right away, but this time, it took a little while to sink in. The songs we sang were powerful -- "Open up the floodgates," one song's lyrics state, "open up the heavens, a mighty river, flowing from your heart, filling every part of our praise." Then came the next song, flowing into a refrain of "our God reigns," then the song "Forever" by Bethel Music/Kari Jobe (see lyrics here). I honestly don't remember the lyrics of the second song, but I remember lifting my arms to Jesus and really worshipping during that song. By the time we finished singing, I was weeping silently out of relief. Then the pastor started praying about how Jesus' burden is light and how all we need is for Jesus to say, "Peace, be still," in the midst of our storms.

I still have some of the same worries I had before I went into church today. Those worries/concerns can be met now because I met God. I still want to be a support to those in my family who are sick, I still face work pressure, and financial stress hasn't disappeared. But I know now that God is with me, saying, "Peace, be still," and that He inhabits the praises of his people. Worship today was more important than anything else, and it felt good.

The sermon was a challenge to ask two simple questions when it comes to faith, "Who is Jesus?" and the second, related, question, "how can I be saved?" I challenge those of us in the blogosphere reading this to ask those questions, and let me know if I can be a help to you in answering them.