The Start of a Refreshing Week

All this week I'm posting here and at the Christian Standard website from the North American Christian Convention in Orlando, Florida. Some days I may write something here unique from what's at the Christian Standard site. But the following post will appear there as well.

“We’re inviting you to be refreshed by our amazing God,” said Tim Foot as he opened the first worship gathering of the 2011 North American Christian Convention in Orlando, Florida, Tuesday evening, July 10.

Several thousand had gathered at the Marriott Orlando World Center Resort in two expansive ballrooms that had been turned into a worship center. The worship was heartfelt and substantive. Foot’s team augmented their music with creative video that portrayed the spirit and the message of each song we sang. The music was a comfortable mix of newer and older worship choruses, highlighted by hymns. And occasionally the excellent musicians on the instruments quit playing altogether to allow the sound of our enthusiastic voices to fill the air.

Convention president Rick Rusaw set the tone for the week. “When I come to a conference, sometimes I come to be stretched. Sometimes I come to be inspired. Sometimes I come to be healed.” And he explained how different aspects of the convention this week would meet each of those needs.

“Lord, we all come from different circumstances,” he prayed to open the session. “Meet us in the middle of our needs. We’re inviting you to speak into our lives. We need you. We want to be refreshed.”

Mark Scott, one of the pastors at Mountainview Community Christian Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, invited us to come into the refreshing presence of God after reminding us that confrontations with God can be anything but refreshing. Adam hid from God in the Garden. Moses hid his face from God on the mountain. Isaiah said, “Woe is me; I am a man of unclean lips.” Peter, after seeing the bounty of fish that Jesus miraculously created in this nets, said, “Lord, depart from me, for I’m a sinful man.”

But, on the other hand, he added, “Coming into the presence of God may be the only thing to refresh us!”

He led us to Isaiah 55: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.” Then he read through the chapter, commenting on the invitation of each section to offer refreshment to the spiritually weary.

As he reached the end of the chapter (“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace . . .”), he reminded us that living our future now may bring the Christian the greatest refreshment of all.

The convention center’s exhibit hall was filled with happy chatter after the main session, and all who attended experienced the “connecting” that makes the gathering a unique joy for all who attend year after year.