"All Creatures of our God and King"

If nothing else happens for the rest of the week, I can go home happy after this morning's Worship Service. I know it's next to impossible to try and communicate the depth of a service if you were not present - worship impacts a particular people who are gathered in a particular time and space. But I still have to try and tell you about it.

They were predicting 8000 people there today; I couldn't tell whether we hit that number, but there were definitely several thousand people present. A mass choir of probably 200 were in leadership, along with several worship leaders, three languages, four winds, and even a first for GA: a baptism!

The theme of GA this year is from John 7:38 - "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." The banners you see in this picture represent that water. If you look carefully in front of the banner carriers, you'll see a big eagle with one wing raised. Four aisles were set up in the hall, enabling participants and creatures and water to come from the four corners of the earth. Banners representing the flames of Pentecost and the floating of butterflies also made their way down the center. Liturgical dancers led the way. And, a first for me, there was a liturgical artist who was working during the entire service on a portrayal of "living water." Every so often the camera would cut over to show the progress of her work.

I only thought I had lived -- that was until today, when several thousand voices joined to sing hymns like "All Creatures of our God and King," "Every Time I Feel the Spirit," and "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling." There was a terrific African-American gospel group who led us in a sung response between the confession and the affirmation. There were also some really great praise musicians who used all kinds of instruments during the service.

Bruce Reyes-Chow preached a barn-burner about what we still have to do as a church. But the highlight for me, I think, was the baptism. We were all invited to remember and be thankful for our own baptisms, so I was joined by the communion of saints involved in my baptism for this particular occasion. The baptizee was a little toddler girl who was taking it all in wearing a beautiful baptismal gown. A large family surrounded her, and a large CHURCH family from her home congregation gathered on the floor just below where she was to be baptized. The pastor was moved to tears as she baptized her, and by the time we sang "I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry," there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Rivers of living water, indeed.

We also celebrated the Lord's Supper, seated but passing tray and chalice down each row offering each other "the bread of heaven." It was definitely a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. By the time of the benediction, when we passed the peace and several of us stuck around to hear the Widor "Tocatta," I was totally transported.

Friends, there is NOT just one way to do worship. Diverse elements can indeed be woven together without being a mishmash to create an exquisite service that honors God and restores the worshiper. And it doesn't take thousands of worshipers to pull it off. All it takes is the presence of that zany Spirit, good planning, and openness to taking part and to being taken places we had not imagined.