The Weblog of Dennis Dawson
Still Small Voice - 2008-12-10
STILL SMALL VOICE
We had an unusual, but not unique experience recently during our morning worship service. Just as the choir and orchestra were ready to enter the sanctuary, the electricity went out. With the doors closed, the sanctuary was almost in total darkness; no temperature control, organ, nor sound system existed. In other words, everything the average person equates with a comfortable room was absent.
After some discussion, the church staff decided to go ahead with the service. The choir and orchestra were dismissed to join others in the congregation. All doors were opened to allow as much light into the sanctuary as possible. The service started with the Pastor baptizing a father and his daughter. An individual stood on the platform and used a flashlight for the baptism. The same individual held the flashlight for the pianist to play. The Minister of Music stepped to the pulpit and led the congregation in the singing of a few hymns. Two things became apparent during the song service. First, the congregation as a whole had a good voice, and for the first time in many years, we heard them without choir or orchestra. The second thing was that without hymnals or words projected on the screens, the congregation did not know the third verse of most of the hymns.
Then, the Pastor ascended to the pulpit, and an another interesting thing happened. All of the ambient noise that usually takes place throughout a congregation, such as coughing, moving about, "schussing" children to be quiet, stopped. It was absolutely quiet. The Pastor brought to the pulpit two items: his sermon notes and a flashlight. As the sermon progressed, I noticed three things. First, I noticed the Pastor was editing the sermon on the fly. I am not sure if it was because he wanted to complete the sermon before the room became too warm; or, if he was trying to complete the sermon before the battery in the flashlight failed!
The third thing I noticed was that God was present in that room. He wasn’t in any emotional presentation or well worded prayer. He was there in a still small voice that spoke to each of us. “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11-12) A holy time was felt; even though it was not planned, it was a beautiful way for us to begin a month of celebrating the birth of our Lord.
One other thing happened after that Sunday. People have been talking about their spiritual experience during the worship service. Not only have they been talking with other members of our church, but also to their friends and neighbors. In fact 1 Kings 19 could be paraphrased to read:
“And there was a great crowd of shoppers around us,
but he Lord was not in the crowd;
and after the crowd was long lines,
but the Lord was not in the lines;
and after the lines were the gifts,
but the Lord was not in the gifts;
and after the gifts came a still small voice.”
During this time of year when everything seems to go crazy, time seems to disappear before we are ready, and patience seems to wear a little thin, I pray that each of us will hear that still small voice of God speaking to us, and share it with those around us.