Skype, Nooma, Wellness and Glory

So, taking a little break from the story to recount what happened tonight. It was nothing short of glorious. This post is admittedly disorganized and a bit random, but I find that if we do not mark the things that God does, then we forget them.

For a few days now, Daylah and I have been planning to go and work on our pilot script this afternoon. It was great, we went to Panera Bread and sat and wrote. It was exhilarating and exciting to finally write again. We made some good progress, fixed some problems, and she might have convinced me not to kill Paul's coworker.

Anyway, after we got back, from writing, we found our lovely Mr. Sypolt laying on the couch in a very odd state. Entertaining, but odd. He's had a cough that has been steadily escalating for the last couple of days, so today he decided that he needed some medicine. So, after Mo got back from life group, we made a group trip to Walgreens. Random and fairly uneventful. On the way back, Adam, still in an odd kind of pseudo-high, suggested that we watch one of Rob Bell's Nooma.

Upon returning, I thought I would see what Bread(ley) was doing, and see if he would like to come and hang out for a bit via skype. So, we get him online and pop in Nooma | Rain. Bread has all of the Noomas on his computer, so he syncs it up with ours and we watch it together. In the film, Rob Bell tells a story about taking a walk with his infant son, and while he's on the walk it begins to rain. The baby is terrified and cannot see anything but the storm around him. Then, the Father took the baby into his hands, held him close and safe and simply whispered into his ear, "I love you buddy. We're gonna make it."

After it ends, we all sit in silence together for a good few minutes.

Its hard to describe exactly what happened next. We realized that many of us were in tears. It was a fantastic moment. Then, Bread (a youth pastor in WV) told us a story about church tonight about just being enthralled and drenched in the Joy of the Lord by simply reading the Word with a youth group and having discussion about it. He had a marvelously goofy grin on his face that I've seen often on those who have been filled with the Joy. He had his OTB (orange-triangle-Bible, so named for the cover that has a- well, you can figure it out.) and Adam decided to go get his so that we could share in the Word together.

Upon randomly opening the scripture, Bread finds the first four words of Psalm 116.

"I love the Lord"

That was all we really needed. After that, the bottom of the spirit cloud just fell out. All of us were hugging each other and crying and singing joyful and exuberant songs to the Lord of Lords. We came together in an unforeseeable unity and just basked in the spirit that soaked us. The Joy of the Lord inhabited us and we became no more than vessels to proclaim his Glory. It was beautiful. The four of us squished onto a couch, and one in West Virginia skyping in all came together in true unity with God. It was a true love that connected us all. Long, strong hugs that shouted "I Love You, Brother!" and "I Love You, Sister!" and more than both of those, "Let us come before the Lord in worship together!" John came in eventually and we all sat with him and prayed over him and his family.

That's when I realized it.

This is the plan. This is what we are created to do. This is why we exist and have relationships with each other.

So that when we come together, we are so in love with the Lord (please see Psalm 116:1) that we cannot help but love one another. We are so in love with the Lord, that we cannot help but shout his name. We are so in love with the Lord, that we cannot stop praying for one another. We are so in love with the Lord that each of us provide support for the others to stand on to get closer to God.

"My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross
And I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O My Soul

It is well with my soul."

And so, I encourage you to surround yourself with people who are truly in Love with the Lord, and may you ascend with them in worship to the throne room of your King. You will not regret it.