Punctured Roof
I was so broken and longing for something transcendent, for something higher than anything this world has to offer, that I decided to go to church. I didnt even change my clothes. I jumped up and ran out the door.
I arrived late and found my way to the only seats still available, in the balcony.
It wasnt long before I realized how different everything was in this place. I immediately sensed the distinctiveness of God. In the music, in the message, and in the mingling afterward, it was clear that God, not I, was the guest of honor there. Having suffered the bankruptcy of our societys emphasis on self-fulfillment, I was remarkably refreshed to discover a place that focused on the centrality of God.
I didnt understand everything the preacher said that morning, and I didnt like all the songs that were sung. But at that point the style of the service and what people were wearing became non issues. They could have all looked Amish or all like hipsters from Brooklyn; they could have
been singing old songs or new songsit didnt matter. Why? Because that morning I encountered something I couldnt escape, something more joltingly powerful than anything Id ever experienced, something that went above and beyond typical externals. Through both the music and the message, the transcendent presence of God punctured the roof, leaving melike Isaiah when he entered the templeawestruck and undone.
Excerpted from Unfashionable by Tullian Tchividjian
Daily Reflection:
When was the last time you were awestruck and undone in church?