| I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy |
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I've recently started to attend a "black" church on Sunday evenings. The first time I went, it was due to a joint service held between their congregation and our own. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of praise and the love exhibited towards a guest. Since then, I've been able to go several more times.
What really draws me in is the enthusiasm with which the congregation praises God. I've been to several different churches and I have noticed that in many of them, the congregation acts as if they are deaf, blind, and paralyzed. More than that, they also look like they just lost their best friend on the same day that their dog ran away. I keep thinking, if we know God as our Lord and Saviour, then we must have the JOY that comes from knowing God. By looking at some congregations, you have to question whether they really know God.
The congregation at this "black" church has no problems showing the JOY of Jesus in their lives. They dance like David danced, they shout to the Lord, and the sing of His Love. They do not worry about looking foolish. They are not concerned with being undignified. They simply love the One who first loved them. It is refreshing for me. It is good for my soul. I truly believe that God has sent me there. I have been hungering for fellowship with Christians who want to praise God. So often, I leave meetings feeling empty or depressed. I am easily distracted by the commotion going on around me. Teenagers are texting, adults are having conversation, Local Officers are completing paperwork. Here, we are praising God. We lift our voices, with shout praises, we clap, we sing, we play instruments, we make a joyful noise, and sometimes, when the Spirit moves us, we lift our hands. And the only one we are there to please is the One who will love us anyways.
I thank God for meeting my every need. He knows my burdens, my worries, my wants, my weaknesses, and my shortcomings. Though I am imperfect, He loves my anyway. |
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