I love listening to the stories of how God use to work in church. I might chalk it up to nostalgia or some other such thing, but I can remember God moving in services in a powerful way when I was a teen. I remember going to convention and God taking over the service, or Youth camp and being in the altars all night long. I remember a few chapel services in college where God moved and classes were cancelled for the rest of the day.
These experiences don’t seem to happen like that any more. Yes, God moved powerfully at ATF this year, but honestly it was just a small taste of what I have experienced in the past, and I can’t think of the last time we experienced anything like that in church, but I know when I was a teen it happened with some regularity.
I was talking with my pastor after out hike last week and he was expressing similar concerns, God has been speaking to us both about this, and so we are going to be changing the Sunday PM service to allow more time to wait on God.
I’m praying that when we wait on God instead of expecting Him to move on our time frame, then wew ill see the power of God flow in our church again.
Have you ever experienced God’s Spirit moving? Does it seem to be “less” today than it use to be? Why?
ATF Worship
Fear to Boldness
Jesus Culture: Your Love Never Fails
Glutton for Punishment
Last Night by Skillet
“… we are going to be changing the Sunday PM service to allow more time to wait on God.
I’m praying that when we wait on God instead of expecting Him to move on our time frame, then wew ill see the power of God flow in our church again.”
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It seems ironic that in the space of a paragraph you lament our expectation of wanting God to move in your timeframe, yet your response to this is too create a timeframe.
At churches I have attended we have always had people that seem to be more in tune with God when he wants to do something and if they feel something, it is brought to leadership and acted on if they agree.
A bit ironic, but the idea is that we are building towards something bigger. A world class athlete doesn’t get up one day and say “I decided to run a marathon.” They start going further than they have ever run, pushing harder, trying for more.
It’s the same thing. We are trying to help more of the congregation be sensitive to the Spirit, not just a select few.
Agreed. You have to start somewhere. Over time you may not have to set aside time. It will happen when it happens. As long as leadership is willing to fly by the seat of their pants, that is.