Tabernacle

Saturday night I was able to attend two different worship services at two different churches. I already wrote about the other experience (that was less than inspiring) and now some thoughts on my second experience.

This experience was at Tabernacle, a ministry of Trinity Covenant Church in Manchester. This was actually my second time at Tabernacle.  The first was back in the Fall.  The pastor who leads this worship service (it is branded as an alternative, contemporary worship service and meets once or twice a month)  remembered my name. I was impressed by that.

Let me skip all the logistical observations… this was a great worship service where I encountered God in a significant way. In fact, it is easily the best worship experience I have had in months — pretty much since I last worshiped at my previous church.

The music team was sharp, tight, excellent, well-rehearsed — and yet not pretentious in any way or performing. They were worshipers who were worshiping and thus leading others into worship. The sound mix was excellent as was the lighting and video tech stuff. Nothing distracted from my worship, which is really all I ask for.

The preaching was excellent. Passionate, Biblical, intellectually interesting, spiritually deep, relevant and heart-touching. In a tweet, I described the preaching at the other service I was at this way: “The pastor is screaming and sounds angry. I’m not sure why. I can’t follow his sermon. But he is definitely very worked up, lol.”

In contrast, the pastor at Tabernacle was equally passionate and at times intense in his preaching (both are traits I tend to like), but with a totally different tone/feel/posture as the other pastor. Simply put, the teaching was excellent (and that is not something I easily say — I can be pretty critical of preaching).

There were also a couple of things that really elevated the whole experience. I think the difference between a good worship experience, a great worship experience and a transformational worship experience, can be very slight.

To go from good to great, you need to focus on planning and transitions. Tabernacle’s service felt like a continual 90 minute journey, not just disconnected parts (we sing, we listen, etc etc). It was woven together well.  The music selections were perfect for the message, there was a “Big Idea” that connected everything — music, teaching, application, response, symbols, set-up of the room, etc.  The big idea focused on water as a symbol, and particularly Jesus as living water.  Because the church is doing baptisms tomorrow, the baptismal was already set up and we were able to use it in the service and reaffirm our own baptismal vows.

So what takes a service from great to transformational? Attentiveness to the Holy Spirit and a willingness to follow His lead and get out of the way. And they had that at Tabernacle.

I don’t tend to get super emotional in worship, but this service both led me to my knees (literally) and to tears (literally) — while also connecting with my heart and mind. 

It was really good to be in a great worship environment again. A real blessing to me.