"God is really among us"

Yesterday I was reading a passage that we rarely read in our tribe (we rarely read it—and almost never on Sundays-- because Paul is talking about tongues in the passage and most Nazarenes get scared off the topic faster than you can say “Phineas F. Bresee.” Just seeing the word “tongues” gives most of my fellow Nazarenes the “holy heebie jeebies,” but that’s another topic for another day). Paul, in this passage, talks about an unbeliever going to a church service and at this particular service, prophesying is taking place (talk about the “holy heebie jeebies” daily double, this passage might be it—tongues and prophesying. Oh my!) But Paul seems to indicate that prophesying should happen among the believers; and he doesn’t act like this is an odd event at all but rather seems to imply that it should be a common occurrence. Anyway, that’s not my point, instead my point is… Something powerful happens to this unbeliever during this particular worship service—he is convinced of his sins and he proclaims “God is really among you.” (1 Corinthians 14:25)

That’s the phrase that has captured my thinking—an unbeliever saying: “God is really among you.” How often do unbelievers proclaim that about us? When a visitor comes into our service on a Sunday morning is that what they would say first? “God is really among you.” You see, more than a comment on how lovely our sanctuary is or what nice people we are or what nice music we have or even what a nice pastor we have (ahem)—I want every visitor, every time to say, “God is really among you.” And quite honestly, shame on us, if a visitor leaves on a Sunday without that impression.

Will you pray that this Sunday we will have a “God is really among us” experience? That everyone—from the first time visitor to the longest tenured member would proclaim “God is really among us.”