Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from
everlasting to everlasting: and let all
the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalm 106:48
This morning, while fourteen men including myself were in a classroom in the North Complex area of the prison, the God of Israel came to visit us...
everlasting to everlasting: and let all
the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalm 106:48
This morning, while fourteen men including myself were in a classroom in the North Complex area of the prison, the God of Israel came to visit us...
This is only an expression, of course. The Lord is everywhere. He cannot be confined to just one small area. God is omnipresent and He exists throughout the universe. Nevertheless the sense of His presence was noticeable.
As we do every Sunday morning, the men who belong to our church's choir, as well as the ushers, elders and myself, all gather for approximately 90 minutes before the actual service starts, to pray and seek direction and help from the Lord for the day ahead. The choir also gets the opportunity to rehearse their songs. While I have the chance to go over whatever message I may be planning to share with the congregation. It's an intimate and casual time for us, and I like to join in on some of the singing, too.
Yet today was different. I've written about experiences like this before in which a particular area, be it inside the chapel or in a classroom, would appear to come alive with the energy of God. This time it happened once more. After the last man entered the room we formed a circle, as is our custom, and joined hands to pray. Then when our prayer was finished, the fourteen of us began to praise the Lord in unison. It is our way of expressing our love and gratitude for Jesus Christ.
However, as we began to do this, the room, I'm convinced, became charged with power. And as the choir took their respective positions in order to practice their songs, my heart began to fill with joy and contentment. It was as if the Lord had joined us.
Meanwhile, a prison guard, who happened to be patrolling the corridor outside the classroom, found herself drawn to the music. She came inside the room and stood by the door smiling widely and watching us. But within a few minutes I noticed tears in her eyes. The Spirit of the Lord was touching her heart.
Finally, when the choir finished their songs, the officer began to speak. She told the choir how much she appreciated the music, and said she was amazed to feel so much peace in such a place. I politely told her that it was the goodness of God, and it was His presence she was sensing.
Then, at 9:45, it was time for us to move our music equipment and other gear into the main chapel area to set up for the ten o'clock worship service. Everything in a correctional facility runs on a strict schedule, often to the minute. For me, however, I did not want our praise and fellowship period to end. I didn't want to leave the room because it had become, at least for today, and oasis of peace and praise from the prison's harsh environment.
D.B.
As we do every Sunday morning, the men who belong to our church's choir, as well as the ushers, elders and myself, all gather for approximately 90 minutes before the actual service starts, to pray and seek direction and help from the Lord for the day ahead. The choir also gets the opportunity to rehearse their songs. While I have the chance to go over whatever message I may be planning to share with the congregation. It's an intimate and casual time for us, and I like to join in on some of the singing, too.
Yet today was different. I've written about experiences like this before in which a particular area, be it inside the chapel or in a classroom, would appear to come alive with the energy of God. This time it happened once more. After the last man entered the room we formed a circle, as is our custom, and joined hands to pray. Then when our prayer was finished, the fourteen of us began to praise the Lord in unison. It is our way of expressing our love and gratitude for Jesus Christ.
However, as we began to do this, the room, I'm convinced, became charged with power. And as the choir took their respective positions in order to practice their songs, my heart began to fill with joy and contentment. It was as if the Lord had joined us.
Meanwhile, a prison guard, who happened to be patrolling the corridor outside the classroom, found herself drawn to the music. She came inside the room and stood by the door smiling widely and watching us. But within a few minutes I noticed tears in her eyes. The Spirit of the Lord was touching her heart.
Finally, when the choir finished their songs, the officer began to speak. She told the choir how much she appreciated the music, and said she was amazed to feel so much peace in such a place. I politely told her that it was the goodness of God, and it was His presence she was sensing.
Then, at 9:45, it was time for us to move our music equipment and other gear into the main chapel area to set up for the ten o'clock worship service. Everything in a correctional facility runs on a strict schedule, often to the minute. For me, however, I did not want our praise and fellowship period to end. I didn't want to leave the room because it had become, at least for today, and oasis of peace and praise from the prison's harsh environment.
D.B.
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