My Chains Are Gone!

Today, I learned several things…

#1: Moses was a dork.
#2.  God will use all dorks.
#3.  Boneheads like my pastor will stand a chance (his words, not mine).
#4.  Sometimes we have to wrestle with the hard questions all by ourselves.
#5.  Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by God.
#6 .  The pastor just added another fear to my list – the fear of a hard heart.
#7.  Communicate truth.
#8.  Approximately 50 people can make the rafters ring in the church on a Sunday morning.
#9.  The church is never really empty.
#10.  Do NOT, under any circumstances, give students sugar cubes at the beginning of youth group when you have a lot to cover and you need their attention.  Ever.  (again)

Having learned all that today, I want to share something that happened, which was really big for me.  Before I’d even put my things in my purse to go to church, I had known today’s service was going to be powerful.  A friend sent me a message, telling me so.  So, when I arrived at church early, my first job was to find a box of Kleenex, because one never knows how they will experience “powerful”.  After gathering my supplies, I sat my things down in my pew, and made my way back to visit another friend.  The husband and kids decided to stay home today, as he wasn’t feeling the greatest.  The anticipation of spring is making things difficult for all of us.  So, with them all at home, I had a nice, quiet pew to myself.  No rush, no fuss, no worries… the entire time of worship, all to process alone, in peace.  I went to my seat after the pastor welcomed us all with a heartfelt, “Good morning.”

I waited as the organist played the prelude, and we prayed.  I waited while we sang the initial hymn and during the children’s moment.  I waited after we tithed and during the doxology.  I waited while we sang another hymn and shared our joys and concerns.  I waited while the preacher recapped our previous chapters of The Story.  And I waited.

I waited all the way through the message for that powerful thing.  I kept waiting.  I heard him talk about Moses and Moses’ imperfections and I listened as he encouraged us that if God could (and did) use Moses, He surely could use us.  I waited while he spoke about the worst sin, and how we perceive what the worst sin is.  Of course, we can’t judge what the “worst” is, and Pastor reminded us that sometimes, we must wrestle for the hard answers alone. I waited when he asked us all if we were still awake.

And then he said that God gave Pharaoh a hard heart.  Say WHAT?  God gave Pharaoh a hard heart.  Ohmygosh!!! How could God give anyone a hard heart?  WHY would God allow Pharaoh’s heart to become hard??  WHEW!!! That was powerful.  You know, I’m sure I’ve read that before.  Perhaps I’ve even heard it preached on.  But here it was, staring me in the face, freaking me out, making me worry about the condition of my own heart! Pow – er – full!!!  So, this is what my friend was telling me about… this is what had her wanting to chat.  This, this weird thing that God did, this hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.

The next thing Pastor was telling us to do was write on our bulletins, the name of someone who is coming to our mind (right then) that we need to be Moses to this week.  The name of someone who we need to share Jesus with.  “Oh boy.  I don’t know the name of anyone right now”, I thought.  “I don’t want to pressure anyone right now.”  Pastor went on to talk about how people see Jesus in our actions.  Not just big things, but everyday things too.  He used an example of a couple in our congregation.  That a man would see his Jesus in each meal his wife cooked; and that should she cook a meal for the Pastor, he would undoubtedly see Jesus as well.  We need to talk to our people now, so that God doesn’t harden their hearts!

Then, he talked about the Passover.  He talked about Jesus being the sacrificial lamb.  He talked about the blood on the door being what saved the people from certain death.  That simple act of obedience was what saved their very lives.   That we can still access the Sacrificial Lamb today.  He keeps on talking about how we serve I am who is I am.

Then, from out of left field, he starts closing the message and says that God has come to set us free.  He has come to set our friends free.  All we need to do is go to him and say, “Here I am.”  BAM! There it is.

And then Pastor tells us all to take a breath and when we release it, we will shout, “Let My People Go!” in unison.  We do that once.

We do that twice.

He says it is nice, but our sister church was able to do it on the second try this morning.  We did not.  It took us three tries, but on that third try, the rafters rang out, the walls shook, the people smiled.  “Let My People Go!!!”  He said.  “Let My People Go!!!” we plead.  BAM BAM!!! There it is again!!!

And so, when I finally got home, I texted my friend to see where she felt the power.  We talked about it for a little bit, and we’re getting together tomorrow to talk about it some more.

I am going to write more about this tomorrow night.  Right now, I am so exhausted.  But I wanted to share with you what happened today, so that I can share with you what the powerful stuff was, and how God is still working, even when I feel He isn’t.  Even when I can’t see him.  Even when I’m waiting for the powerful thing, and I have to sit still and be quiet and wait till the very end.  Even when.