Last Sunday was an amazing experience at church. 400 or so people from church gathered for a meeting in the afternoon. These people are volunteers for the Carols by Candlelight event that St Paul’s is hosting next Sunday.
As the meeting came to a close, a couple of cracks of thunder, the heavens opened, and hail the size of golf balls pounded the site. Everyone gathered outside to watch their vehicles in the carpark get their own golf-ball like dimples. (It was over in 10 minutes, and the sun came out!).
As the meeting came to a close, a couple of cracks of thunder, the heavens opened, and hail the size of golf balls pounded the site. Everyone gathered outside to watch their vehicles in the carpark get their own golf-ball like dimples. (It was over in 10 minutes, and the sun came out!).
The same storm killed the power, not only of St Paul’s, but of all of Castle Hill. All of our electric amps and keyboards, powerpoint screens and microphones were rendered useless. So, as 5pm church approached, our musos rose to the challenge. They ditched the songs they had been rehearsing all afternoon, and worked out songs that they could lead with just acoustic guitars and pianos, and that enough people would know how to sing without words on a screen. They pulled it off beautifully. Pray-ers, bible readers and the preacher rediscovered the lost art of voice projection, and the congregation cooperated by moving seats to reduce the range.
The ante was upped for the 7pm service. At about 6.15, we realised that light in the building was fading fast. Again, people sprang into action, finding and setting up candles on the stage. The noise was stripped right back, but the singing was fired right up. The candles flickered, punctuating the night as the preacher wandered the stage speaking God’s word into the darkness.
And the text for the day?
For you were once darkness, but now you are a light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-9.
For you were once darkness, but now you are a light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-9.
God is awesome, and it was great to see the fruit of His Spirit as people bound together to serve each other and to praise His holy name. Unforgettable.
In Anticipation 
yeah…same thing happened a couple of years ago (no power)…it was awesome!