“I tremble in fear of you; I stand in awe of your regulations.” (Psalm 119:120, NLT)
“How wonderful!” Roberta kept exclaiming in awe.
Roberta, a member of Stetson Memorial UMC in Patten and now living at the Gardiner, shared with me that she hasn’t been able to attend church for quite some time. But this past Sunday, thanks to Sirong’s kindness in giving her a ride, she and her friend Sharon were able to join us. Together they kept exclaiming in awe—at the music, the message, communion, coffee fellowship—at everything.
In Scripture, fear carries two meanings. One is positive: the “fear of the Lord,” which means reverence, awe, and deep respect for God that draws us closer to Him. The other is negative: fear as anxiety, dread, or terror, which God longs to free us from.
Roberta and Sharon’s awe was contagious. Because of them, I too experienced worship with fresh wonder. I treasured each element of the service and each person present. This World Communion Sunday became one of the most meaningful for me. We may not live in a large, diverse city like Boston or New York, yet we can still be bridge-builders. Thanks to Sirong’s ride, the world of the nursing home and the world of the church came together. Thanks to Roberta and Sharon, the biblical world and our world today connected in a beautiful way.
If you haven’t yet, you can watch our services here:
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Hodgdon: Facebook Video
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Houlton: YouTube Live
You can also read the message here: John Mark: His Unexpected Journey.
And I encourage you to read Roberta’s story: I Love to Tell the Story, and Sharon’s story: My Life Journey.
May the Lord restore a spirit of awe in each of us and draw us closer to Him this week.
Pastor Victor
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