Sunday, March 18, 2012

Music Glorious Music

All night long it seemed the apartment was filled with music. Each time during the night when woken the remnants of what had been playing in my brain lingered. All from the beautiful music of last nights Night of Worship. The song, What do I Know of Holy, was the one that woke me early this morning, ringing through this small brain. The words convicting yet comforting.
The first song sung last night was a song for someone that suffered a loss. I didn't know the song but the words were so touching I couldn't stop the sobs and started praying for restoration. How thankful I was that there were people willing to share their talent for our benefit. David Jacob and Caleb sang a song with the refrain Can we Speak about Jesus Now right before Spark got up to speak. Spark told us of how 6 months ago at the Peoria County Jail a man came to the church service with the sole purpose of killing another inmate. That Sunday there were no guards in the room and when the fight started Spark grabbed the one that was to be killed and ended up on the floor with him with his arms around him, telling him, "just stay down." Then a foot comes into his vision trying to slam down on the head of the inmate Spark was trying to protect. Spark grabbed the foot, looked up into eyes so cold, so hard and so filled with hate it shook him. He told us, he knew this one was going to hell. That prisoner was never allowed to come back to the church services but a few days ago a guard asked Spark to visit him, telling him, "he's changed." Well to make a long story short, the other prisoners would come back from the services and talk to him. Spark met with him, the man looked at him this time no hardness, no hate, and with warmth in his eyes asking for forgiveness. Who can change a hard heart? What does it take? Spark repeated the words to David Jacob's song, Can we talk about Jesus Now and reminded us all "don't stop! The second half of the program David led the congregation from song to song. When he started Day's of Elijah the room rocked with enthusiasm, almost raised the roof of that huge old school on that song. The last song of the evening all sang How Great Thou Art and truly How Great He Is!

1 comment:

  1. Wow! What an experience! I can't wait to have Kathleen read this posting. I enjoy your blog entries. Life is good....God bless.
    Cleve K.

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