What was it about Encounter Thursday Night?

Was it the spirit of brokeness in the prayer meeting before encounter began?

Was it seeing the humility of Rita and the awesome expression of Christ through her leading us in worship?

Was it the boldness in Matt's voice?

Was it the realization that 3,000 people come to know the Lord every hour?

Was it seeing the black girl crying because she had twenty white people lay hands on her and pray for her?

Was it the black guy that Matt called up on stage to be prayed for? I thought the way everyone hugged and embraced him that everyone knew him. Iit was his first night at Encounter.

Was it the row of guys behind me that at first were uncomfortable with the whole prayer thing- and then towards the end they were the ones readily laying hands on those around them to pray?

Was it the girl who I didn't know that came up and prayed over me that God's light would shine in and through me?

Was it the tall guy on the front row with his long arms outstretched in total surrender?

Was it the song "You are my Hero"?

Was it the sweet time of communion?

Leaving in the middle of the communion time was hard for me...... because I knew that the place was going to errupt in a total outburst of praise. And so I hear that it did just that.

But pondering the whole evening on my way home to my babies i kept tring to pinpoint what it was that was so special about Thursday night.

My conclusion:
It was a gift of grace from the Holy Spirit who allowed us to experience to "encounter" Jesus and to give us a glimpse of his empowering ways.

You see.....
It's his way to be broken and spilled out.

It's his way to be humble and its his way to be bold.

It's his way to save people and its way to touch the hearts of those who feel all alone in a crowd.

It's his way to unify his people.

It's his way to get us out of our comfort zones and its his way to teach us how to pray for each other.

It's his way to express his love to us through outstretched arms and it's his way to be all we ever need....to be our hero.

It's totally his way to commune with his people to become one with us.

And its totally his way to cause everything within us to want to praise him in total abandon.

The ways of Jesus are so drawing, so attractive, beckoning me to want more, to need more, to long for more of my hero and all that makes him so good.

I enjoyed experiencing him in such a special way with you.....my community.