Sunday at Heartland

The first thing I have to say is that the building may be unprepossessing, but these are wonderful people. I was welcomed everywhere, greeted, spoken to, made to feel at home. This is a church that knows how to treat guests. I was impressed.

I had super time with Andy and Trisha, whom you can see here with their boys Jake and Eli. Andy led worship in the main morning service with his excellent band. Good to see Zach, who played drums at Furnace last summer as well – this is his home church too. The music was lovely, and we used some songs I knew well and some that were new to me but all were good for worship.

Preaching at the main service, and joining us for lunch was Ron Allen, pictured here with his wife Carolyn and I, after the service at Andy and Trisha’s for lunch. Ron has pastored this church for ages, though he is handing over leadership to Andy. Both his sermon and John Youse’s at the early service were great, though it was their hearts rather than their words that stick with me. I loved what I saw – big generous hearts winning people for Jesus.

At the early service John spoke on the question of what revelation is, and as he was doing so, I felt the Lord help me with something. I have been slightly struggling with exactly how I progress the story of my book. The next bit has been just escaping me. And now I am clear. John reminded us to simply ask for revelation – to be shown what we needed to see: thank you Jesus!

Oh, I promised yesterday to record a couple of things form Saturday night’s sermon. Here you go: "Resentment is deadly, and the first relationship it kills is the one with yourself". Or try this: “We’re often asked, ‘Can Christians dance?’ We’ve always felt the answer is, some can and some can’t.” I think that second one works on so many levels it is an absolute masterpiece.

At 6pm, there is now a ‘liturgical’ service run by Ben Sternke at Heartland – or at least, it is run actually off site. (It's called "Christ Community" and you can read more about it on Ben's blog - click here and scroll down till you find it!) Ben is running it for people who might not want exactly what the morning service offers, who need a way in from liturgical churches, who have life experiences that mean something more formal but still Spirit led is good, who can hold on to the structure and find God in the organised side of church – a sort of thirty-something post modern take on a Eucharist. Not that it is simply aiming at that demographic. And not that you have to have a beard if you are a man (I was so grateful when eventually someone else without one came in)... It was quiet, thoughtful, beautiful, and Ben’s preaching was my favourite of the weekend (which means it was most like my own). Good narrative theology. Giving people The Story by telling people the story. An excellent preach on John 9. And again, warm, friendly people making me feel at home. Quite lovely.

Thank you Lord for the privilege of being here. What an amazing joy to meet these folk. What a thrill to worship amongst them. Thank you. I tell you, these trips to worship with God's people in different places are eye opening and heart warming and spirit refreshing and totally wonderful. It will be years before I get to do this again. And I am loving every moment.