by Pastor James Bell

Authentic Christianity is, more than anything else, a reflection of Jesus. This Easter we we were caught up in joyful, exuberant worship. The welcoming of many visitors and the fellowship of our church family was highlighted by a new peak in attendance. We had 701 in our combined (9:00, 10:45 and 2:00) services! I am so thankful for two people who came. It doesn’t matter which two. 701 just sounds better than 699, doesn’t it? What a great weekend it was!

I think many of those who attended Friday evening were surprised at what a powerful move of God we experienced. The videos, the communion service, and the connection of the worship songs to relevant truths about the cross were all a part of a strong presence of the Holy Spirit.

Saturday brought us face to face with more visitors than you might have imagined. So many thank you letters were sent out to families who were experiencing Hosanna for the first time. Many of those families returned to one of our services on Sunday.

“Exuberant” would be one word to describe Sunday’s worship. It seemed like waves of the Holy Spirit were moving across the congregation. Expressions of joyous praise echoed heavenward as everyone was blessed and refreshed.

On behalf of the Elders, Deacons, and staff, I want to say thanks to you. Thanks for coming, thanks for helping, and thanks for bringing your friends to church with you. It was one of the most memorable weekends we have ever had. Glorious worship on Friday night, wide-eyed kids finding multi-colored eggs and having a blast on Saturday morning, and then wonderful Easter services on Sunday.

Oh, and there is one more thing I want to share with you. Why not keep this going? As we begin our new series “The Church and the Kingdom of God”, let’s bring the same anticipation and enthusiasm to every service! The tomb is still empty, Jesus is still alive! All we have to do is bring the same heart for worship. The same Lord will show up with the same power in our services. Are you ready for a continual outpouring of the Spirit? Me too!

He is risen indeed,

Pastor James

by Pastor James Bell

Somewhere in the peaceful meadowlands, between spiritual flights of fantasy and hardcore religious fundamentalism, there lies a treasure. It is the true purpose of God for His church. It has been significantly absent from many church growth seminars, prophetic conferences, and Christian ecumenical movements and events. But it is already being discovered and embraced by many. Could 2010 be the year of spiritual sensibility?

Christianity has always been perceived in a negative light by those who love darkness, and often marginalized by the media, but the last decade has been a tipping point for many Christians. They are sick and tired of being embarrassed by the inane antics of false prophets. They are weary of one moral failure after another by self-proclaimed spiritual leaders. They are fed up with the three-ring circus approach to defining a “move of God”.

On the other hand, faith-filled believers are not ready to capitulate to an alternative that denies the power of the Holy Spirit at work and in the church. They long for the stability of biblical truth, but feel emasculated by an anemic, mostly academic approach to Christianity that many hold responsible for emptying mainline churches across America in the last century.

As we begin 2010, there is a fresh wind of the Spirit blowing across this land! It is erasing cultural prejudice, tearing down denominational fences, and setting free both those in religious bondage and those deceived by charismatic extremism. The big question mark is where, among the religious landscape of the next decade, will these ones who are being set free from either wild-eyed fundamentalism or cold, faithless liberalism put down roots? The miracle to make this year especially significant might be the place where the minds of both groups ultimately meet. Here is a visionary glance at what this place might look like:

• The Bible being simply and clearly taught, replacing both enthusiastic-but-erroneous sermons and trendy, self-esteem raising messages.
• The ordinances of communion and baptism restored as a vital part of worship, presenting these ordinances not as symbolic rites, but as relevant experiences in God’s presence.
• Allowing Jesus to set our agendas and the Holy Spirit to mess up our plans (very popular in the church described in Acts).
• Realizing that spontaneous miracles of healing (physical and inner) happen during worship songs of all genres.
• Plainly spoken (as opposed to vague and rhetorical) prophetic words shared as a part of our worship services in either evangelical or liturgical settings.
• Prayer ministry by Christians to others at work, in our schools, and in relationships in our neighborhoods.
• Seeing Jesus in the faces of the poor, and doing something about it.
• Being effective conduits through which the love of God will flow out from the churches and into the communities, based on the needs of those communities.

More than those emotionally charged “outpourings”, so often concluded by strife or immoral and/or unethical behavior….or “hip and cool” trendy services, where we try (with a spectacular lack of success) to emulate the world and imitate Christ…a real move of God is needed in our land. What if something authentic, powerful, and transformational started right here at Hosanna?