Reflection from our worship at NRN today

Today at NRN was different yet a blessing.  Several times in my ministry I have faced a decision in front of our church family.  The worship was wonderful.  Communion was a time filled by the presence of the Lord.  As we concluded the time in prayer we once again sang a song of praise to the Lord.  That is when God moved in my heart for a spontaneous moment.  I asked Dr. Page Wages to join me on the platform and we prayed for the her upcoming ministry opportunity in Alaska.  Then, an unplanned time of welcome took place.  When time for the announcements it was filled with laughter as Elmer the Pig announced the Pig Pickin scheduled for next Sunday. (Yes a real pig was on the platform...)  Then God moved upon my heart once again.

Many people are unaware that each week we prepare an order of worship for the worship team, ushers, sound and media team.  At the top of the page is the current date of the worship and the words:

                         We make our plans, but God has the last word.

I asked Ben and Connie Solomon to join me on the platform: 
 

Ben and Connie have sold their home in Raleigh and are relocating to Florida near family with time also in Wilmington, NC with their son Joseph.  Several people shared testimonies of the impact Ben and Connie have had upon their lives.  This was NOT a time of eulogy but a time to reflect the goodness and faithfulness of God. We will miss Ben and Connie and pray God's richest blessing upon them in this time of transition and new adventure.

It reminded me of the account in Scriptures - Acts 20:7-12

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 

Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”

Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

I faced a Eutychus moment and decided to close our tribute to Ben and Connie with a short review of the current teaching series and share a closing passage of scripture:

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.  These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.  There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”  2 Corinthians 4:17 (The Message)