From the Pastor's Heart

  Happy New Year!! Woo-hoo!   It is a new year!   Wait?   You say no, it’s a month away?   You say, Pastor Joyce we haven’t Christmas yet.   Hmm, call the board together, something is wrong with our pastor.   Let me say it again, Happy New Year! Let me ask you a question, how do you know when the New Year is?   Your answer is probably because the calendar says so.   But there are other new year celebrations.   Probably the one we are most familiar with is Chinese New Year.   There is a Muslim New Year.   The Jewish New Year is celebrated Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.   Countries like Thailand, Iran, and the Russian Orthodox church all have unique timing for celebrations. Time is a slave.   We are slaves to our calendars.   We are slaves to the tyranny of the clock.   You know the sayings: Time and tide waits for no man.   Time is money.   Don’t waste your time.   Time is the most valuable thing a person can spend.   And the list goes on. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical

I went back this morning. I went back to Salem. I am missing worship. Not the quiet pensive variety but deep holy worship. As I went back, I heard a strong voice leading in prayer. It started like this: Most Gracious Heavenly Father. The voice grew. The responses followed with a rhythm like the falling of dominos in a row. I knew this sound well. There were whispers of thank you Jesus. Or praise you God. Or oh yes God. As the leader’s voice swelled so did the response. Soon it was a cacophony of harmony. Hands were raised. Tears flowed. Heaven came down and was orchestrating the sound of worship. Needs expressed out loud at the same time. Adoration exclaimed. Quietness settled but there was no amen. A word of exhortation or adoration proclaimed. It came from the back or the side of auditorium. The anointed voice was heard. Hearts and heads bowed as they we absorbed the Holy Spirit’s work. Responses came. Some knelt. Some grieved over sins. Some expressed j