Last night, I was reminded again of what it’s like to be part of a church family. We celebrated with a number of our members in a water baptism service. To be honest, the service was one of the best I’ve ever experienced.
But not the entire service. The preaching was mediocre at best. I can say that, because I was the one doing the preaching. I couldn’t get any momentum. Even as I was speaking, I was telling myself that I wasn’t getting any traction. I rambled. I sucked. I kept skipping over stuff in my notes. It was one of those messages that I have to simply accept as being less that average.
Normally, when I fail to even hit the ball on a sermon, I go home very miserable discouraged. For those who speak regularly, you know how much emotion and energy goes into a message. When everything works, you go home on a bit of a high. When it doesn’t … well, you roll-up-in-a-ball-and-suck-your-thumb need your space.
If it wasn’t for how the rest of the evening went, I would have gone home very discouraged. And yet, I found myself so excited riding home. It was simply an amazing service.
Two things happened that made it so. First, during worship I felt strongly impressed to say a word of encouragement to those who were battling major obstacles. I said a few words, then invited those who needed prayer to stand. So many stood. Then, others stood with them, putting a hand on a shoulder, or an arm around a brother. We prayed for them. We’ve only done something like that one or two other times, and it’s always a powerful moment. It’s a strong visual of the kind of family Bikers’ Church truly is.
The other thing that really knocked my socks off was the water baptisms. We had four people scheduled to be baptized. One couldn’t be there because of a sick child. So, we had the other three go into the tank and share their story. Each was great. I love hearing how God is changing a person’s heart and life. Then, I asked if anyone else wanted to be baptized. A woman came forward. Then, a young junior high boy asked his parents if he could be baptized. My heart got excited at what was happening.
Finally, we were done. Marty closed the night off in prayer, and we turned off the camera.
And then, it happened.
We have a guy who has been coming for some time now who is in a wheelchair. He was in an accident about 10 years ago and suffered some brain damage. Until he started coming out to Bikers’ Church, he was pretty much a loner. The staff who cared for him couldn’t get him to do much of anything. They say he is a completely different person since he started coming out to BC.
All through the service, and while I was asking if anyone else wanted to be baptized, he would raise his hand, trying to get my attention. I didn’t respond, because I didn’t want to put his worker on the spot.
But after we wrapped up the service, one of our guys came up to me. “He really wants to be baptized. Any chance we can make it happen?”
So, I called out to everyone. “We have one more person wanting to be baptized!” The crowd came back around our tank, and a few of our guys lifted him out of his wheelchair and into the tank. And, we baptized him.
The cheers were incredible. The smile on his face said it all.
It was then, as I looked around at the ragtag group of people who make up Bikers’ Church, that it hit me once again. This is a family. An incredible family. One I am so very blessed to be a part.
You see, there are some people who think they can experience the spiritual journey on their own. They don’t need to attend church or join with a group of people to know God. Personally, I think God values relationships too much to allow us to take this journey alone. He wants to be in relationship with us, and he also wants us to be in relationship with others.
I can’t imagine not being part of such an incredible spiritual family.
Thank you, Bikers’ Church.
Rob I haven’t felt anything but anger & hurt towards anything to do w/ the lord & religion for almost a yr now. In fact in 2 wks it will be a yr. . . U know why so I won’t go on. I just wanted to express that reading this I “felt” something & it made me cry. Thank u for sharing & dang it Rob don’t ignore that poor mans raised hand anymore. It doesn’t matter if its relevent or not he wants to share. Let him. Its how he is “belonging”.
~Vixyn~
Rob, I arrived at the church last night, completely discouraged, exhausted, and so absorbed by a feeling of being alone with God. I went to Church because I knew that I had to reach out, but when I got there, I just did not have the strength to do it. I crumbled, and in some ways, hid from those that I wanted to be with.
When I mustered the energy to walk outside to witness the Baptisms ( the only real reason wwhy I went last night ) I just wanted to see it done, and go home.
Something incredible happened inside of me as I watched those being baptized, and the crowd cheering them on. My heart filled with hope and courage to keep going. I saw so much, from the excitement of publicly acknowledging one’s faith, the tears of joy on the parents of the youth who decided to commit himself to God, to the strangers who were watching the ceremony behind the trees, and seeing them clap and smile for all of those who were baptized.
Like you however, it was Ross who took my breath. The look of joy in his eyes will be something that I carry in my pocket daily so that I can bring it out when I need to be reminded that I am loved.
It was an incredible night. Thank you to all who were there, because you turned my defeat to a victorious night!
Thanks, Vix. It was very cool to see each of the folks baptized. As for the last guy, it wasn’t so much me ignoring him, it was my attempt to respect the worker who was with him. Still, it was very cool to see him baptized.
I think you’d love Bikers’ Church.
Yeah, it was very special to see the baptisms and feel the love of the crowd. It was a great night for sure! And it’s amazing how we can find encouragement in being part of a group like last night.
Wow… I wish I would have been there… just reading this brought me to tears… Thank you for sharing!
Over this past month, Warrior and I have been shown time and time again that the people at Bikers Church ARE our family… We get married in 7 days, and so many of our friends/family can’t make it… but very few people of our Church family cannot attend… I am so grateful for everyone there…
Rob, if you feel your preaching Thursday night ‘sucked’, you’re probably the only one who thinks so. Even at ‘mediocre’ as you called it, you still touch hearts EVERY TIME. You inspire, you encourage, you teach, you embody the spirit and you are NEVER boring!!!! God bless you for being the pastor you are. Thursday was an amazing night and a big part of the reason why is JUST because you do what you do so very well. We are blessed to have you and we love ya. –J
Thank ya, ma’am!
Now we’ve got that cleared up, you can stop sucking your thumb and figure out what you’re going to teach us next week!!!!
Next week’s message: “Blessed Are The Thumb Suckers”
Familly are groups of people that can see how good each of us are faults and all. Every person should be able to be in a familly that does not judge faith or opinion of faith.
Once one has familly he will never be alone will always be help up or help out from his thumb sucking phase.
Great work rev.
I`ve seen a lot of baptisms over the years, but last Thursday night’s was the best ever !! Not only was the baptismal service a witness of what was happening in the hearts of those baptised , but the participation of the people was a witness of church family.
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You felt the words didn’t do much. But, obviously, God Blessed them because they did not return empty.
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