We look forward to Secret Church every year.
In fact, I can honestly say it's one of the things we MOST look forward to every year.
What is Secret Church?
It's a chance to come together as Christians and worship and study in a way that mirrors the way our persecuted brothers and sisters worship and study around the world.
This year, we joined together with approximately 60,000 Christians, representing all fifty states and over ten countries to study from 6pm-1:30am. Yes, that's seven and a half hours of church. And we LOVE it. We leave feeling full, refreshed, and equipped. I honestly can't think of a better way to spend Good Friday than studying and worshiping and soaking in Jesus.
The past two years, we have participated in Secret Church at a local church via satellite.
However, this year, we made the trip to Birmingham to participate live.
In case you were wondering, I think the worship/learning/studying part of Secret Church was very comparable to the experience we've had via satellite.
David Platt is just as animated on a screen as he is in real life.
However, the worship--- it was worth going just for the worship.
We live in a small town and attend a small church, and while I love our church, there is just something so powerful about worshiping with thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ.
I was also so excited to see one of my favorite adoptive mamas.
Love her heart, and just being around her makes me happy.
As for Secret Church, it's hard to sum up almost eight hours of study and a 178 page workbook in one little blog post, but here are a few of my favorite takeaways:
*"May the Living God, who is the portion and rest of the saints, make these our carnal minds so spiritual, and our earthly hearts so heavenly, that loving him, and delighting in him, may be the work of our lives." -Richard Baxter
*Our children will not be what they cannot see.
*"He is not nearly so impressed with our late nights and early mornings as he is with the peaceful trust that casts all anxieties on him and sleeps." -John Piper
*"Rest in the Lord. What? Where? When ? Why? How? This....is a most divine precept, and requires much grace to carry it out. To hush the spirit, to be silent before the Lord, to wait in holy patience the time for clearing up the difficulties of Providence-- that is what every gracious heart should aim at." -Charles Spurgeon
*Social media, among other things, can kill contentment.
*"Our children will pursue what we applaud. They will emulate what we celebrate. If we celebrate scoring and winning, then our children will define success in these terms. But if we celebrate evidences of godly character in our children, we will help them define success [far] more biblically." -C.J. Mahaney
*"The true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention." -Tim Keller
If you're interested in learning more about Secret Church or would like to listen to any of the fourteen Secret Churches that have taken place, you can find all that you need here.
Until next year, Secret Church.
Wish I could have attended this year. It is always a refreshing drink from the cool spring of God's word, a stake and potatoes meal for the mature, and a call to return to our Father's will for our lives.
ReplyDeleteThis was my second year. After last year, I wanted to be sure I didn't miss. Someday I would like to go to Birmingham!
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