WATCHWORD:
“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. Acts 7:33
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10
Meditation:
Surely the Presence
Friday, October 20, 1983, my friend Mac and I walked into an old school in Columbus Ohio and began a weekend which deepened our relationship with Jesus Christ. By the time we walked out on Sunday afternoon we had an experience so profound it truly shaped our Christian walk the rest of our lives.
Cursillo, Via Di Christo, Brethren Way of Christ, Emmas Walk, the name you give the three-day retreat matters little, it’s the content that is so powerful: An uninterrupted, New Testament focused time with Jesus. Whether you go through that weekend with Christian brothers or with Christian sisters, it is an infilling of the Spirit of Christ.
Recently, Mac and I talked about our memories of that time, forty years ago. It was hard to believe it had been that long, and yet we both had vivid memories of those three days, some were reverent, some were funny, but most had persisted throughout our “Fourth Day”, or what we took from that retreat into the rest of our lives.
One of my memories was of a song I frequently sing early in the morning, in the shower, almost anytime, anywhere — Surely the Presence of the Lord. It was written by Lanny Wolfe in 1976. H tells about how his Trio have written songs: A line or thought would come to him. He would scribble a few words on paper until he met with the other members of the Lanny Wolfe Trio. He would sing the lyrics and they would brain-storm melody and words to fit. That formula worked well in the creation of many of their songs.
But this song happened much more spontaneously than that. The Trio was in Columbia Mississippi, for the dedication of a new church building. As the Trio was waiting to sing, Lanny felt the Lord was giving him a new song. He grabbed a scrap of paper and jotted down the words. There was no time to go over them with other members of the Trio. When the time came for the trio to sing, Lanny went to the piano and began singing the chorus to this song. As he taught it to the audience, he was also teaching it to his Trio.
This song reminds us all to look for God’s presence all around you, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, whoever you’re with…A reminder to be fully aware that God’s presence is there.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
In the midst of His children the Lord said He would be
It doesn’t take very many
It can be just two or three
And I feel that same sweet spirit that I’ve felt so many times before
Surely I can say I’ve been with the Lord
(Chorus)
There’s a holy hush around us as His glory fills this place
I’ve touch the hem of His garment
I can almost see His face
And my heart is overflowing with the fullness of His joy
I know without a doubt I’ve been with the Lord
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power and His grace
I can hear the brush of angel’s wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit in words, circumstances, other people’s actions, maybe even the weather affects where we go and when. Don’t ignore these holy nudges. Our role is to jot things down, sing them, reach out to others, adjust our plans, make the call, find a different place to park, do other things, etc. Can you say, “Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening“?
Side Bar:
The scrap of paper on which Lanny Wolfe jotted the first words to “Surely The Presence of the Lord is in this place” is framed and adorns a place of honor in the church where it was first sung. God the composer.
Prayer of the Day:
Read again the lyrics, prayerfully. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. It is in Jesus’ name. Amen.
