Far better than a baseball game

Last week I received an email from a friend who asked me if I wanted to go to the Phillies game with him last Friday night. My first inclination was, 'Of course I want to go...too bad I'll be at Worship God 09!'

Of course, this is a very dumb inclination: 'Too bad I have to worship God with 2,000 other people and hear from two godly men (C.J. Mahaney and Bob Kauflin) talk about the lessons they've learned in leading their church in worship over the years...because I'd really like to go that baseball game.' What insanity!

This memory was in my mind as I left Covenant Life Church on Friday night. I had just experienced a tremendous night of worship, teaching and encouragement. We were led in worship by Bob Kauflin, along with a choir of 130 people. At times, the singing was so thunderous that I knew I was experiencing a foretaste of the worship that goes on even now around the throne of the Most High.

Then C.J. and Bob were interviewed by Jeff Purswell about their experiences leading worship and pastoring their church for more than a decade together. There was so much wisdom imparted in this hour-long interview that I'll need to listen to it many more times after it's posted on the web to glean all its treasures. It was both encouraging and convicting at the same time, and filled me with such a longing to serve our church more effectively.

Following the meeting, I had the chance to speak with C.J. for a few minutes and share with him how profoundly his message at the 2007 Leadership conference impacted me. It was in that message that Mahaney challenged pastors: 'Do your people know that every Sunday, no matter your text or topic, that you will bring them to the Cross and preach the Gospel?'

For me, the answer was no. But since that night, I have preached probably 80-90 times, and by God's grace I have not failed to preach the Gospel even one time. I told C.J. all that, and the impact that it has had personally and on our church to grow in our love for the Gospel of Christ. C.J. was so excited he gave me a fist bump...twice (his smile was probably about as big as this photo). Being able to encourage someone who has so extraordinary blessed me was a great blessing.

In addition to all that, I was able to share in this great evening with several others from our church who were likewise blessed and challenged.

So as I headed to the car on Friday night, I thought to myself, 'This was far better than a baseball game!' Even if Friday night had been the only session of Worship God 09, it would have been well worth the trip.

I'll post the audio when it's released, probably today or tomorrow.