If the Lord Had Not Been on Our Side

Last Sunday at Vintage, we had a service that was focused on singing and sharing and praying. We anchored the day in Psalm 124 considering "if the Lord has not been on our side" what would have happened. We thought about the difference God has made in our lives. I didn't preach; rather, people were invited to share their stories from the last year.

I have been a part of a lot of "praise chapels" and testimony times in my life. They can be so predictable. You know who is going to say what when. You know who is going to cry, what jokes are going to be cracked, and how long the awkward silences are going to be. You know the cliches you're going to hear and the people who are going to draw attention to themselves.

None of this stuff happened at Vintage on Sunday.

As person after person shared, I was overcome by the sense that God is really up to something in people's lives. He is up to something in and through Vintage. He really had shown up for us and made a difference in us. And by the time Vanessa prayed, it was obvious that God had shown up in our little worship gathering.

We've got a long way to go as a community, but I am confident that God is on our side, that he is making a difference in our lives. And because of that, I really can't wait for 2009!

.