simply amazing

This post may not make any sense to you. I just have to tell the story...

Have you ever been present when in the midst of something you were doing...God showed up? This is one thing that no matter how many times it happens it never ceases to amaze me. God has made an appearance at each of the last two services at our church. Don't get me wrong...every week the gospel is preached, we sing, praise, and teach. But something in the last two weeks was something so amazing that I am addicted to it. I want to feel the Spirit move in the hearts of those who don't know him. I want to feel the presence of our Savior in and through the people who have gathered corporately to seek His face. God is healing the wounded heart of his church...not just HBC but everywhere. This is something unlike anything I have ever seen or been a part of.

It all started a few years ago when our pastor asked the staff if we could be experiencing a famine similar to what King David experienced in 2 Samuel chapter 21. Was there some sin that our church had committed that caused there to be a famine in our land? The evidence seemed to support that there was. We started working with the deacons of our church through a study called peacemakers www.peacemaker.net. If you haven't read Ken Sande's book I highly suggest it if you want to handle conflict at home, church, or work in a biblical manner.

After the study we decided it was time to stop avoiding our problems and start standing up to them. Beginning in September started a month long process to identify, deal with, and bury the problems of the past so that our congregation could move forward in the name of Jesus. Last week we talked about the corporate heart. (read 2 Samuel chapter 21 and Joshua chapter 9) Yesterday we talked about the wounded heart. We were able to identify several issues that had been holding us back. At the end of Rodger's sermon...he asked for our [the church's]forgiveness. I have never been in a setting where the spirit of God was so thick. It was like a huge weight had been lifted at that moment. Rodger called for an invitation and for the next 20 minutes people came forward. Two people were so moved by it that they joined our church stating that they wanted to be a part of what God was doing at Holladay.

I am proud to be a member of Holladay Baptist Church. I want to be a part of what God is doing and I am honored to be able to serve as their youth pastor.

I asked you to pray for our church in my last post. Please continue to do so as we continue to seek out God's will for our church body. We're not there yet but with God's grace and guidance we, as a church, will start walking the path He has set out for us.

Sean