Sunday-1:30 p.m. When I woke up, it smelled like sawdust. And my allergies didn't exactly handle that well. By the way, I got to drive about 3 hours in the van including through Jackson. And I'd never driven a vehicle like that. There were a number of cars in Jackson, but not really any traffic.
I should stop and say I have a good feeling about this group. As I was driving I had a very relaxed feeling and I don't relax too easily, because I'm pretty intense. Maybe it was the warm weather, a new place, or getting away from Illinois for a bit. But there are a lot of unique personalities in this group and I mean that in a good way. Because I've been in a number of groups, including mission trips where the blend did not work.
Sunday-7 p.m. So this morning we went to Little Zion Baptist Church. This is a tiny African-American church near some railroad tracks. Let me specify what I mean by tiny. The 15 of us nearly doubled the congregation. I'd say there were 7 people in the choir and 15-20 in the pew. It was a very spiritual meeting. During the giving of the peace, we all hugged and that is a radical change from most white churches in the midwest. At some churches I've been two, they don't even give you time to shake hands which I think is a terrible idea. Church is not a gas station. You can't just go in, get you fill for the week, and come back next Sunday. You have to give to it as well and by that I mean giving your gifts, your talents, your lessons learned, and so on. And a big part of that is interacting with other people.
When it was time to pray, we all made a big circle and held hands, You could really see how genuine these people had love for Jesus. The pastor was a visitor from what I understand. You know, the kind who was always asking for an Amen! He talked from Mark 6 and how Jesus was not welcome in his home when he returned there. The preacher reminded us to endure with what we believe even if there are people in our homes who don't know Christ. And we sang Amazing Grace the way I think John Newton intended it to be sung when he first wrote the words down in 1773. We belted it out and believe me, it was loud in that building. That was a church service truly filled with the Holy Spirit. We also talked with some of the staff people and they shared a some of their hurricane experiences. The church building in particular needed a lot of dry wall work and there are still piles of lumber and unassembled furniture scattered in the back of the building. But I was reminded of a pastor who spoke in his first sermon to his congregation after the hurricane hit.
"Once we said Jesus was all we need. Now Jesus is all we've got."
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