It's so much more than any message I could bring or share....but that is important too.
It's so much more than any one person in the room....but that figures into the equation.
It is a combination of hungry hearts ready to meet God....
And a God who is hungry to redeem a people that no on thinks can be redeemed.
A people who are snatched off the garbage heap of life by a divine hand and heart that sees worth and value in the discarded.
That is why I come alive when ever I get to go and be a part of a recovery meeting.
It's not about me...
But I know that God is going to do something spectacular. I know someone in the room is going to possibly meet God for the first time in their lives.
I know that when (not if) that happens, they will never be the same.
That is what recovery is all about.
Having the hardness and blindness removed, as a result of the cumulative years of using, this divine encounter that takes place during the meetings, is the first step toward this new way of life. Last night at Celebrate Recovery Centre, Alabama was no different. Hungry hearts plus a loving God make for a great evening.
Randy, the worship leader, and the band always set the tone for the coming meeting. Randy has a knack for hearing what God wants played. There are sometimes I've gone to CR where God wanted to party, so the music was kind of raucous and edgy. People were ready to be with God. But Randy also has the ability to dial in into a time of intimacy where the love of God is so evident in that room that you could cut it with a knife. Music and worship is such a vital part in recovery. The type of music played is equally as important. I have been in some CR meeting where the worship is exactly what you would find on Sunday Morning's if you visited that church. NO offense, but the average person who is either still in their addiction, or is just beginning this journey in recovery can't relate to Sunday morning worship. Not saying that it isn't viable...just not for CR. I've been accused of watering down the worship at the meetings I've lead over the past 16 years. Well, I'm not watering it down, I'm just using the right bait to catch the hearts of those present. That is why I like it when the guitar's get a little raw and the voices get a little passionate. Taking worship to a level that draws people into the presence of God is what it's all about.
Last night's meeting was a culmination of everything I've written about this morning.
In the end, the front was flooded with people pouring their hearts out to God. It is such a blast to stand on that stage and see people come forward to receive prayer and healing. In some ways, God has let me see more and experience more over these last 16 years, than some people and churches see in their lifetime. Am I that special? No. But my God is.
Blessings on Donnie and Shelly George and all my family at Celebrate Recovery Centre.
God on you....
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