One Week Later

Yesterday was "Super Sunday" at Grace Church. We don't have Sunday night service every week, but about once a month we have a special speaker for the evening service, and that's Super Sunday. This time the speaker was Mario Murillo, who is a gifted evangelist and sort of a friend of our church. He spoke in both services, which is kind of unusual; usually Pastor Bob speaks in the morning as always and the guest speaks in the evening. Anyway, Mario was excellent; check out his messages on the church service audio page when they go up later this week!

But this post isn't about Mario; it's more about the follow-up to what happened to us last week. Again, I can only kind of tell my story; it wouldn't be fair or accurate for me to try to tell someone else's story too much. What God is doing is too multifaceted for that. But I do know what has been going on in my own heart.

Worship in both services was terrific; I would say it was comparable to the week before, although it did not end in the same unusual time of intercession as last week. In Sunday school instead of a "lesson" or a teaching time, we took the time to kind of "debrief" on what happened the week before. The class was packed; I think everybody wanted to see what was going to happen this time! What happened was that we talked about the events of the week before, kind of got everyone on the same page (because the events happened in service, in Sunday school, and later at Brad & Hayley's house, and even the Friday night before, not everyone knew what all had occurred, although there was no attempt to give a detailed account of every minute of what had happened). Some of us commented not only on the previous Sunday, but on what had happened in the week after. There seemed to be a general sense of being intent on making sure that this didn't stop on Sunday August 31, but that the experience we had there would make a difference in our everyday lives. I know I spent last week in some serious prayer times. My prayer life has been transformed; I pray with more fervor and more life than I think I ever have before. One person told me that the word "sustain" has kept coming up for him all week in conversations and everywhere he looks. Several people seem to have been kind of "buzzing" all week. One couple pretty much lost their desire to do much else other than spend time with God and fellowship with others from the group! Truly, the Sunday school class and the rest of WAM feels more like family now than ever; whenever we get together it has the feel of getting together with a big tight-knit family for a holiday.

A few people have experienced intense attacks already. One woman found out immediately after the second service last Sunday that a friend of hers had passed away, for example. I think other attacks are bound to come, but you know what? I think God steers us around the worst of it if we listen to the Holy Spirit.

We didn't suck carpet this week. But when we were speaking out in Sunday school about what God was doing in my life, and particularly when it was my turn to share, I could feel his presence begin to rise up in me. Oh man, He's not done yet. Mario Murillo's message in the evening service was about how "the best is yet to come." One of the other men in Sunday school shared that he believes that life in God is like a big tall building with elevators; you can go up to the second floor, but there are always higher levels... the third, fourth, fifth, and sixtieth! ... there are always higher levels to go to. We're on the way up!