Musical Churches

It was shortly after Andrew and I were married and we settled in Yuma, that we took to the task of finding a church home. For several weeks we attended a few local churches for a Sunday or two just to give them a try. Then one Saturday night, as we were lying in bed, we were discussing where we would attend worship the next morning. I grabbed the phone book and opened it to the church section of the yellow pages. I glanced over the listings and ads and I saw one that caught me eye. Something about the ad intrigued me and that was the church I wanted to attend the very next morning. Well, we did go to that church the next morning and even joined a small group a few short weeks later. We had found our church home and continued to attend there for the next 5 years.

For several reasons that are now insignificant, we stopped attending that church over a year ago. For the time being we found a little church one block from our house that we could walk to. The congregation at the new church was mostly older people and did not have a a lot of young families, but the pastor was someone we liked. We would temporarily pitch our spiritual tent here. Spiritually, our family was in a transition and the new church served its purpose for us at the time, but essentially it was not our church home.

Fast forward to today. Actually tonight. This very evening we made a comeback to our original church home for their new Saturday evening service. We needed to find a church home that would serve us as a family. We needed a place for Andrew and I to worship and at the same time a place where David could grow spiritually as he grows physically. And, to be perfectly honest, the thought of going to church on Saturday evening rather than waking up early on Sunday morning to get myself and my toddler ready in a chaotic frenzy was like a dream come true. We were giving our original church home a re-whirl.

This comeback came with some mixed emotions. I felt like I was playing a game of musical churches. I felt one part guilt for leaving in the first place, one part ridiculousness for returning, there was another part excitement about going back to a place that I liked and where I had some good friends, and there was one part trepidation about returning to a place where I had been hurt.

Not surprisingly, God had this all mapped out before the idea of the return even struck me. First, they were some friendly faces to greet us. This made this trepidatious return a little easier. Next, entering the sanctuary we had once occupied and the Pastor we listened to on most Sundays felt comfortable again. The selfless volunteers in the preschool were more than happy to care for our little one. The praise band members were different, as were the songs we sang, but the essence of the worship was the same. This whole thing that I was nervous about turned out to be exactly what I needed. The worship music and the Pastor's words spoke directly to my heart. I was now back where I belonged. I laid down my old hurts and opened my heart to what God wanted for me. It felt good.

One of the songs we sang went like this:

Here I am humbled by Your Majesty,

Covered by Your grace oh friend.

Here I am knowing I'm a sinful man,

Covered by the blood of the Lamb.

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine,

Since You laid down Your life,

The greatest sacrifice.

Majesty, Majesty.

Your grace has found me just as I am,

Empty handed but alive in Your hands.

Here I am humbled by the love that You give,

Forgiven so that I can forgive.

So here I stand,

Knowing that I am Your desire,

Sanctified by glory and fire.

And now I've found the greatest love of all is mine,

Since You laid down Your life,

The greatest sacrifice.

Majesty, Majesty.

Your grace has found me just as I am,

Empty handed but alive in your hands.

Singing Majesty, Majesty.

Forever I am changed by Your love,

In the presence of Your Majesty.

Majesty.

We're singing Majesty, Majesty.

Your grace has found me just as I am,

And I'm nothing but alive in Your hands.

We're singing Majesty, Majesty.

Forever I am changed by Your love,

In the beauty of Your Majesty.

Majesty.

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These lyrics released me of all my strange emotions. I was humbled in this place. I am forever changed by His grace and His love. This is who I am and His grace has found me sufficient.