faithfulness and confirmation...

When we made the decision to move back to Tennessee... we immediately started looking for the place that we would call our 'church home.' As we started researching, we found a church that seemed to be a great fit for us. The first Sunday we were here we took our family to Fellowship Bible. I'll admit that the church is a bit overwhelming coming in for the first time... an entire education building- two levels... then an enormous second building where the worship services take place. This church also has four services a week - one on Saturday night and three on Sunday morning with a total of over 3k in attendance. As we sat through the service the first time, we definitely felt the teaching was what we were looking for- expository style- verse by verse bible teaching. The worship was phenomenal- as you would expect being in Nashville- and the kids all enjoyed their classes. However, I left feeling very overwhelmed by the size of the church. How would this work? How do you ever get to know anyone? How can leadership minister to those in the body with SO many in the body? I've spent the last several weeks contemplating these questions. Now, I hadn't intended to go back to Fellowship until Chris was back here next week... but I just felt like I needed to go give it another shot... so, I did and God met me there this morning is a very real way. I cannot even begin to articulate how powerfully God moved in the service this morning. It wasn't quite so scary walking in this time, since I had somewhat of a feel for the flow of things... Worship started and was different from the last service, though I couldn't really put my finger on WHY it was different. This morning was also a time of sending out- as two new churches were being started and operating and the leaders who were going were prayed over. Encouraging to see a body that still believes in the Great Commission... Judea and Sumaria were only 20 minutes down the road- but God still called and sent. As the teacher for today got up and began to speak (there are three rotating teacher elders) the simpleness and sincerity of his message spoke to my heart. He wanted to express how powerfully God is working within the body there at Fellowship- and deliver a sort of "state of the church." But within his testimony of God's work on him and his heart- there was the presentation of God's work on the hearts of other believers at Fellowship. Story after story of God's faithfulness to sinners who loved Jesus. Story after story of grace and mercy- of patience and fulfillment. I found myself overcome with emotion. The truth is that the congregation of people I sat amongst- some 1200 people- became intimately close. We were all in a position of realizing how undeserving we are and how GREAT a GOD we serve- who despite our faithlessness... lavishes goodness upon us. A God who doesn't stray- even though we do... a God who pours out mercy and grace when we are in our furthest hour from Him. Overwhelmed. As the worship team came back to lead us in a few more songs-- I was so struck my God's mercy that I found myself overcome with thankfulness and praise... who am I that He chose to love me? I went from this question of 'how do we fit in among 3k believers in one building?' to a clear understanding and confirmation that this body in Brentwood, Tennessee is where God would have us in this season of our life. As we made our way out of the parking lot, I called Chris to share with him this confirmation- and still so overwhelmed I broke into tears, humbled by what the Lord allowed me to experience in that not so big building... with not so many hundreds of people... Our last few years have been usually difficult- laced with grief and pain and hurt- we've seen believers divided, families divided, and homes divided... and its left gaping wounds in our souls. But for the first time in longer than I can remember... I felt peace this morning and I believe that healing is beginning in our life. I am humbled by my meeting with Jesus today- and oh so thankful for His everlasting love and faithfulness.

The service this morning ended with this song... and when I searched I found this version done by a former classmate at TNU back in the early 90's. It felt appropriate to add his version...