Sacred Gathering|Sunday Night

The Sacred Gathering got off to great start today—from the excitement around campus on Sunday morning then to our staff gathering in the afternoon and finally our first evening gathering on Sunday night. We started out in the Multi-Purpose Center but right before the 6:30 start time we moved to the Auditorium because the room was filling up. There was excitement from everyone as the band and tech teams hurried over to the Auditorium and got things going there. We had 600 in attendance—and incredible number when you think about all of these people coming to simply pray, worship, and begin their fast. You could see and sense the anticipation and hunger from everyone there to worship and hear from God.

Here are a few more highlights:
-Jeff Lewis, who is leading our gatherings in the evenings and also during the day with our staff, began by helping move our focus to the greatness of God. He quoted Psalm 96 and we then began a time of worship which included Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord and Hosanna. I spent a good amount of that time journaling and sensing the presence of God preparing and convicting my heart.
-Jeff then continued our time of personal preparation when spoke over us, "When we allow everything to be pulled away and see His Transcendence, the reality of our condition before Him comes quickly and clearly, and He begins to search our heart." He referenced Daniel 9 with the thought that God is looking for us to yield and confess—not be super Christians—yield and confess. Then he read Jeremiah 13:1-11 and we followed that by contemplating that passage individually.
-After another time of worship led by our band. We began to reflect on who we are as Christ-followers—transformed. No longer sinners, but saints because of what Christ has done.  So, are we living in response to and according to what He has done in me? Do I live in the reality of God’s Word found in these verse? — 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:24, Philippians 3:20, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 1 Peter 2:11, Romans 8:14, Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:28, Matthew 5:13-14, and John 15:16.
-We then spent time praying for those who we know who are not Christ-followers just as we see Paul burdened with in Romans 10:1.
-Next, we had all of the middle and high school students present stand while adults from all of the room gathered around them to pray. There were about 80 students present which was remarkable. As we gathered and pray for these students, Jeff prayed one statement that our staff even wrestled with this morning. He said, "as we have high expectations for our kids, God forgive us for giving more grief to them than intercession."
-Then we prayed for a friend of Jeff’s, Cyd Mizell, who was recently kidnapped in Afghanistan while doing aid work there.

I know I can say for everyone there last night that our heart is full with the graceness of our Lord to meet with us, speak to us, and our anticipation is only continuing to grow. I am listening right now to a new album by Passion:God of This City and listening to the title track right now it is saying, "…and greater things are yet to come…" That is true for the next two days of the Sacred Gathering.