Prayer Time

For a few weeks now I have been receiving a message in my prayer times: agape. It's a Greek term that means "love," but not just any "love." It's God's love. It's unmerited love. It's grace. It's mercy. It's love that you haven't done anything to deserve. It's love just for the sake of love. And that's the message I've been receiving these past few weeks. LOVE.

You may be thinking to yourself, "Okay, that's great. You're a pastor in a church. I'm glad you FINALLY figured out that you're supposed to love." And I have to say I agree with you, but let me tell you why.

The other day at our Leadership Team Meeting we were asked to meditate on our Holy of Holies. In the ancient Israel, after the Hebrews were freed from the Egyptians, they wandered into the desert where God instructed them to build a temple, but not just any temple. Unlike the temples of the day, God's temple was simple. Sure it had beautiful and ornate work in it, but it was smaller than a football field, which is puny when compared to His contemporaries.


Anyway, there was a section of this temple behind the curtain behind the altar called the Holy of Holies. It was a place that only the High Priest could enter, and he only went there once a year. Basically, you come face to face with God. Well, as a Christian, I believe that Jesus ripped down that curtain and gave me the opportunity (through Him) to come to God myself. And this last week at Team meeting we considered what our Holy of Holies looks like.

In my prayer time, I know that I'm there when I see a certain small church in Spain (it's where I first heard my calling). I'm taken back to that moment. It was a warm autumn morning. The main doors to the church are open wide and the sunlight is pouring into the sanctuary. There is a light breeze and a few leaves were being carried on the wind. I'm sitting in a pew a few rows back and I'm looking up at this giant crucifix hanging above the altar with Jesus reaching down to us. I can hear monks singing in the background. To be honest, it sounds too picture perfect, but I have to remind myself that it really exists. That is where I first heard God calling me.

Well, just recently, I was praying and I entered my Holy of Holies. I was sitting in the pew just taking in the presence of the living Lord when a figure entered the doorway. He came up to me, put His hand on my shoulder and I followed Him. We exited the chapel doors and He told me, "This is your church, that (behind you) is your sanctuary." I know that doesn't sound earth shattering to most people, but when combined with the previous message of agape, it was a clear sign that CrossPoint and churches like it are right on track.

It's time to stop just "doing" church. That's your sanctuary. And that's good, everyone needs a place that they can retreat to and feel safe, but it's time to start "being" the church. There is a world out there that needs to see us worship and needs to know God is. Our church needs to reach beyond its walls into the community and show God's love. It was cool...I was attending a children's event at another local church and the pastor came on the sound system and welcomed everyone and asked the volunteers, "Why are we doing this?" And they responded, "To show God's love!" That's what it's all about. It's not a major revelation, just a sorely needed one.