From the Inside Out

There are some days that stand out from the others, and today was one of those. I am incredibly proud to be part of the great group of believers at Abundant Life Church. Not only was the worship service this morning outstanding, but it was followed by a “fantabulous” night of fellowship at The Main Event in Plano.

As I walked into the building this evening, I felt at home immediately. This is my family, an incredible group of people that I am blessed to have in my life. Each person is uniquely different, yet we all share the same faith, the same love for God and the same love for each other. Are we all perfect? No, but therein lies the beauty of it. We love each other in spite of our differences — and sometimes because of them.

I had a blast tonight — talking with friends, sharing hopes and fears, laughing, playing laser tag and my favorite…extremely loud cheering! After the stress of the last few weeks (both at work and with PoP), it was nice to let go and enjoy myself without having to worry about a list of “todos” waiting for me at home.

Thanks ALC! You guys are amazing. I love each and every one of you.

It was an extraordinary day at Abundant Life Church (ALC). We had an amazing morning with the Clark Brothers, winners of the Fox TV show “The Next Great American Band”. These guys are really talented, yet anointed of God. I was blown away.

The Clark Brothers at ALC

They recently performed their version of “This Little Light of Mine” on American Idol. You can check it out on their official MySpace site here: www.myspace.com/clarkbrothers. It’s available for download from iTunes also.

The Clark Brothers are incredible musicians, but they are more than that. They didn’t just show up at ALC to perform; they came to minister. Before wrapping up, Ashley Clark delivered a heartfelt message about Jesus and His healing power.

If the day had stopped there, it would have been great, but wait…there’s more! This evening, ALC held a baptism service at a local natatorium. Thirteen people made a declaration of their face and were buried together with Christ in baptism.

Pastor Hennigan and Assistant Pastor Manning getting ready to baptize Greg (one of our “One Lifers” and drama team member)

It is so exciting to see new souls following Christ! This is what living for God is all about…it doesn’t get any better than this!

After hours and hours of practice, it’s all over.  The ALC NOW (Night of Worship) event has come and gone.  All that’s left is my sore throat and some good memories. 

The night started with a set of upbeat songs.  My favorites were “Promises” and “Solid Rock“.  The second set of songs were designed to slow down the pace and let people enter into a deeper worship experience.  My favorites:  “Here In Your Presence“, “It is Well/At the Cross” medley, and “Savior King“.  Saviour King starts really slow (the verses are a bit boring), but I like the chorus and ending.

We had two groups of Worship Team (front line) singers tonight.  I was assigned to the second set of songs, so I started in the choir, then transitioned out front for the rest of the night. 

Afterwards, we headed to Ricardo’s for a late dinner (Pollo en Crema…yum) and then went home.  I’m still working on the script for pirates.  There’s no better motivation for a writer than an impending deadline.  It should be finished tomorrow — just in time for casting on Monday, whew!   

Ever wondered what it would be like to sing for four hours straight? 

Well, I know…it makes your throat hurt. 

We met at 7 pm to practice for ALC NOW and wrapped up around 11ish.  Though it sounds torturous, we actually had lots of fun.  I could tell you all about it, but it would break the secret choir code of silence (haha).

If you don’t have anything to do tomorrow, stop by Abundant Life Church in Plano at 6 pm for the big night of worship.  It’ll be great.

So, besides making your throat hurt, four hours of singing and performing makes you tired, so I’m signing off with a short blog. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Our annual Night of Worship (NOW) concert is Saturday, April 5 at 6:00 pm.  So, the theme for this week is “practice”.  It’s our opportunity to make final tweaks and get all of the words memorized (yeah, I’m still working on that). 

In addition to practicing 2 hours on Tuesday, we will be meeting on Friday and Saturday to get ready for the performance.  Gary’s also attending an extra musician’s practice tonight.  Even though it’s lots of work, it’s worth the effort. 

ALC NOW will be a great evening of worship, so put it on your calendar and try to attend.   I promise you will enjoy.

Anyway, tonight is my one “free” night for the next few days, so I am using it to work on the script for Pirates of Patmos.  Casting starts on Monday, and I haven’t finished the script yet (uh oh!).  Time to get to work.

Wish me luck in finishing it by Monday!