After Thoughts

Thanks to all of you who responded about our return to Gadsden Vineyard. I do need to make a disclaimer. I messed up. It's my fault...I did it.
Yesterday's posting said that the name of our meeting would be The Vineyard Recovery Church. Well, over the past few months, as God has put this thing together, the one thing He told me was that I was not to use the word "church".
That people would know what we were having.
He took me back to the definition or translation of the word church..."Called out".
I don't know why He wanted it this way (after all, He is in charge).
It was my job to simply follow instructions.
So, with my best Jedi Mind trick, I will now erase that from your memories.
Voila'....Now where were we?
Oh yeah...
Come and join us for Vineyard Recovery!

I drove to the church last night to spend some time in prayer. This use to be the norm for us on Friday nights when we were doing House of Blue. Those who were part of the ministry team would gather on Friday's to worship, pray and just soak in God's presence. Kind of a pre-worship before the Saturday night worship.
It was slightly after sun down when I arrived at the church and it felt like putting on a pair of old house slippers.
Turning on the lights, standing there looking into the small room (as opposed to the mega room where Sunday services are held) I was flooded with memories of things that had happened.  I could see faces of people who had made Saturday night a  part of their week.

Up near the front was where my wife had been overcome by God during worship and had laid down in the floor on her face. She wept...she worshipped...she sang....and when she got up, there on the floor was oil in the outline of her body. It was sweet smelling and the aroma filled  the room. There was no oil on her...her clothes were dry...her hair was dry...her skin was dry...but the floor was covered in oil where she had been laying.

How many times on Saturday night had people chased us down after the meeting asking, "What do I have to do to be saved?" Salvation was a major part of what God was doing there on Saturday night.

As good as House of Blue was (this was our previous Saturday meeting at Gadsden Vineyard) what we are entering into will not be House of Blue part II.
Like I said before, I don't really know what is going to happen. God simply told me to start it, open the doors and He would build it. After all, it is His church. I've gotten in the way too many times and tried to run things for Him. How did that work out? NOT TOO GOOD!!! So this time, I think I will just cooperate with God and see where this thing goes.

As I sat there in the room last night, I began to cry. They were tears of joy and of gratitude. You see, I knew that I was suppose to pastor/teach from the age of 13. But the call scared me to such an extent, I ran from God. I ran and I ran and I ran. I got married but I was running. We had two sons, but the running didn't stop. I ran from job to job, carrying around inside an emptiness because of my refusal to simply do what God had called me to do. God has a funny way of bringing it all together. He lead me to the Vineyard in 1994 and three years later I was ordained as a pastor. So for me to be able to "Be" who God has called me to be, at times, is a bit overwhelming. Sitting there in that room I could truly say..."It is well with my soul."

As of right now...
We are planning on holding our first meeting on the 2nd Saturday in April.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: 419 Broad Street - Gadsden Vineyard Church, located across the street from Gadsden Variety Store between 4th and 5th Street.
Pray and see if God would have you join us.

God on you....
mb