Valerie Rae Hanneman
Revelation 4:8 (NIV) “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."”
Over Thanksgiving we went to visit my Aunt Bev and Uncle Denny in Bandon-by-the-Bay, Oregon. It was an incredible trip. One morning I watched snow-covered Mt. Shasta change from charcoal black to dusky blue to candy pink to glittering gold and finally to sinless white as she dressed herself in the colors of day. Although it was beautiful - that was not where God’s beauty was revealed to me. I stood on Oregon’s windswept shore as waves crashed into the rocks, flinging spray into the sky. The orchestrations of nature were awesome - but that is not where God spoke to me. On the way home we were caught in a storm. The wind pushed at my car with the careless strength of a child with her toy. I fought to control my car - but that is not where God’s power humbled me.
Steven and I worshiped at Faith Baptist while we were in Bandon. Faith Baptist is a small church. Their worship center is not much larger than our chapel, but, just like ours, it was arrayed in the breathtaking beauty of Christmas. When I walked through the door I knew that Father’s presence is just as strong at Faith Baptist Church of Bandon as it is at Fresno First Baptist Church. The community of faith was small - around 40 people were in the main service. They made us feel so welcome. Jesus was in their eyes and in their smiles and after just a few minutes I was as comfortable as I would have been in my favorite pew-chair. I didn’t know the praise songs that they were singing, but I knew the praise that was being lifted because we lift the same praise at FFBC. The style of preaching was different from Willie’s - but the message was exactly the same. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so” is the message preached from both pulpits. I sat in the pews of Faith Baptist Church loving the differences between our communities of faith - the size, the praise music, the style of preaching. But I was loving even more what made our communities of faith the same. The presence of Father as we came together to meet with Him. The joy of Jesus on the faces of His people. The generosity of welcome from my brothers and sisters in Christ to strangers among them. The praise and worship lifted to our God, and the message of Jesus’ love. I gloried knowing that what is the same in the community of faith in Bandon, Oregon and the community of faith in Fresno, Calif is the same in the community of faith in Dallas, Texas, and in New York, New York, and in London, England, and in Jerusalem, Israel; at the Reaching Hand Society in India, the rural communities in Thailand, the secret communities of faith in Beijing, China and the chilly communities in Anchorage, Alaska. Thousands and thousands of communities of faith around the world that, together, are the Church of Jesus. Each of us unique in some ways, and yet, the same in our belief in God the Father; God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We are one Church with one God. It was a huge thought to sit in Faith Baptist and know that I was part of a the Church that encompasses the entire earth.
But it was the lighting of the Advent candle that really got to me.
As Faith Baptist lit their candle, I had a momentary twinge of homesickness. It was the only time while I was in Oregon, that I wanted to be home - with my community of faith. I thought about how this was the first time in 10 years that I had not been at FFBC for the lighting of the Advent candles. But my homesickness passed quickly - because the beauty and meaning of the Advent candle at Faith Baptist is the same as at First Baptist - just as it is the same thorough out the worldwide Church.
Then an immense thought gripped me. I thought first about the 10 years that I have celebrated Advent - then I wondered, “Just how long have we been celebrating Advent? How many centuries have believers gathered together to celebrate the coming of Messiah?” I had a renewed realization that the Church does not only encompasses the earth today but fills all of time as well. Adam and Eve were created to be in relationship with God. The church is believers in relationship with God. Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, David - the older testament saints worshiped God in anticipation of Messiah and what He would do. Peter, Paul, Martin Luther, Billy Graham, Valerie - we worship God and remember when Messiah came and what He did. The next generations of believers will do the same. One Church - timeless. As I sat in Faith Baptist, I was not only part of the Church that fills the world, I was part of the Church that fills time as well.
Someday Mt. Shasta will fall. The waves will cease to roar and the wind will be stilled. We are promised a new heaven and a new earth - the old earth will pass away.
But the church will remain for eternity.
The beauty of God is found in His Church. God’s speaks in His Church. God’s power is reveled in His Church.
LORD Jesus, thank You for loving Your Church so much that You willingly gave Your life for us. Thank You for showing me again that I am part of something glorious that fills the earth and fills time.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org
Posted by Valerie at December 2, 2005 01:52 PM