A Day Off

Yes, that's what I actually got to have on Sunday morning. How'd it happen? The simple explanation is as follows: My wife and I were at the All Virginia Chorus from Thursday through Saturday, and it being a fifth Sunday our home church holds only one service. So we were able to take the day off.

My wife decided to attend another UMC in the area, but I knew exactly where I needed to go. Wave Church.

Wave is a congregation that is multi-generational, but their worship style is distinctly "contemporary." As I entered the building I noticed how much it didn't look like a church. More like a cafe or theatre lobby. To the left of the main entrance was a coffee bar, with tables and chairs scattered around the lobby to provide seating for the customers. I entered the worship space and noticed that the front of the space was basically a stage, with folding chairs (very comfortable I might add!) all around it's front and sides. Looking at how it was set up they could probably seat about 1,000. The folks that were there for the 11:30 service numbered more than the church I serve if you were to count the total number of all 3 services we do. Very impressive.

The service started as the band took the stage and launched into music with seamless transitions between the musical numbers. Well rehearsed, yet worshipful. The ideal for any group that presents worship music. But the really amazing thing was the response they got from the congregation. There were times I couldn't hear the band because of their singing. When was the last time you attended a worship service and the congregational singing drowned out the music leader(s)? Like I said, amazing.

The pace of the service was energetic, and the pastor made sure that the congregation was engaged throughout. They had a guest preacher (the pastor of Hillsong Kiev) and his message was inspiring as he told us about his church in Russia. The emphasis was missions, and he announced what his people in Russia were doing in that regard. Made me rather ashamed to hear it. The pastor of Wave told his folks that they had given more than $540,000 towards missions last year, and that they were expecting an even better response to the request this year. Wow.

I can see why this body of believers attracts young adults, but it's obvious that what they're doing is of God. The number of more "seasoned citizens" in the congregation was proof to me that what they have is authentic Christianity. What a shame that we seem to have lost that in many of our Methodist congregations. And that is evident to me as I watch our young people leave and not return. They're looking for the real deal. We used to have it. We need to get it again.

Maranatha.