Eventful First Week in May

I thought I was going to take a break on Labour Day on 1st May but there was a home group to attend to. Thankfully the traffic was not that bad since it was a public holiday and my wife and I duly arrived at the home of the hosts in good time. I shared for about 20 minutes from two passages but that the labourer is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7) and from Psalm 17 how the Psalmist said that in his righteousness he will see God's face. I told the home group how essential we continue to be righteous and do righteousness id we want to behold God's face which is truly a privilege by His grace. I can understand why many people cannot see God's face and their worship is routine or following basic instincts instead of being moved by the Holy Spirit into God's presence.

On Friday, I attended the prayer meeting and I was late for 20 minutes because of a downpour and traffic jam which took about 80 minutes before I reached the church. It is good that I am not tied to office hours or else it is just wasting countless hours in the traffic.

We had an eventful rehearsal on Saturday as the worship leader is a masterful song leader. She majors in music at a local University training to be a music teacher. It makes all the difference between a skilful and anointed worship leader and a somewhat ordinary one. But I took nothing for granted. The Sunday before the announcements went for 12 minutes which was way too long and I made sure that it won't be longer than 6 minutes last Sunday. Many people just wanted their time in the sun and filled up so many things in the announcements which majority of the worshippers care less. 

But running a church is not easy. Even on Saturday midnight I was entertaining requests to do this or that during the Sunday service, but I politely declined saying that the order of service was already full and we had the Lord's communion which I conducted and lasted just 10 minutes, probably one of the shortest communion services as we served 120 adults present. So I preached for 37 minutes and all my three previous sermons had been shorter than 40 minutes which are unusual since I normally preach for 45 to 50 minutes. But I am aware that if the songs take too long, then invariably my sermon will have to take less time as whether we like it or not, it is not easy to sit in a enclosed space for two hours. 

So I tried my best to ensure Sunday services don't last more than 1 hour and 45 minutes which gives us plenty of time for refreshments afterwards. Then at 1.30pm, from church we went to the Youths' gathering at a riverside about 20kms away on the way to Tambunan. It was a beautiful site and river is clear and waters flow fast. We spent two plus hours there and I gave a 12 minute sharing from 1 Tim 4. 

I asked for leave as I had to attend another event at 6pm and I was late when I reached the church at 7pm. The rehearsal for our Pastors' Conference was in full flow and I joined the fellow pastors in worshipping the Lord. I felt quickened by the Holy Spirit and about 25 people were on stage but I stayed back in the seat near the front without joining my colleagues on stage. I thought that it was like the Tabernacle of David where worship was ongoing with the priests and Levites playing instruments and singing leading the Israelites in worship day and night around the Ark of the Covenant housed in a tent (1 Chronicles 15).