The Sights & Sounds of the Redeemed

This‎ past‎ weekend‎ Rhonda‎ and‎ I‎ were‎ blessed‎ to‎ be‎ in‎ Alto‎ Texas‎ with‎ our‎ wonderful‎ friends,‎ Pastor‎ Ron‎ and‎ Kay‎ Rose.‎ They‎ Pastor‎ the‎ River‎ Church‎ in‎ Alto,‎ Texas‎ with‎ church‎ plants‎ in‎ Wells,‎ Tx‎ and‎ soon‎ to‎ open‎ in‎ Jackonsonville,‎ Tx.‎ God‎ arranged‎ for‎ us‎ to‎ meet‎ in‎ 2003‎ and‎ it‎ has‎ been‎ a‎ wonderful‎ friendship‎ ever‎ since.
‎ The‎ town‎ of‎ Alto‎ has‎ a‎ population‎ of‎ app.‎ 1200‎ people.‎ It‎ is‎ small‎ town‎ America‎ on‎ display‎ for‎ sure.‎ As‎ is‎ with‎ many‎ small‎ rural‎ communities,‎ especially‎ those‎ in‎ economically‎ challenged‎ situations,‎ the‎ effects‎ of‎ hopelessness,‎ drugs,‎ divorce‎ and‎ a‎ powerless‎ church‎ has‎ brought‎ great‎ devastation‎ to‎ a‎ generation‎ of‎ young‎ men‎ and‎ women.‎ 
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‎Pastor‎ Ron‎ and‎ Kay‎ took‎ this‎ situation‎ as‎ a‎ wake-up‎ call.‎ The‎ Church‎ either‎ becomes‎ the‎ church‎ or‎ the‎ darkness‎ over‎ their‎ town‎ will‎ prevail.‎ The‎ jails‎ cells‎ of‎ their‎ county‎ became‎ their‎ fields‎ of‎ harvest.‎ Those‎ in‎ the‎ deep‎ demonic‎ clutches‎ of‎ addictions‎ were‎ the‎ preferred‎ targets‎ for‎ future‎ leadership‎ positions.‎ They,‎ and‎ at‎ the‎ time,‎ a‎ small‎ core‎ of‎ members‎ with‎ the‎ same‎ passion‎ and‎ vision‎ set‎ in‎ motion‎ a‎ God‎ inspired‎ mission‎ to‎ go‎ after‎ this‎ segment‎ of‎ society‎ that‎ most‎ had‎ written‎ off.‎ What‎ we‎ witnessed‎ yesterday‎ at‎ The‎ River‎ in‎ Alto‎ Texas‎ was‎ stunning‎ for‎ lack‎ of‎ better‎ words!!‎ The‎ sights‎ and‎ sounds‎ of‎ the‎ redeemed‎ was‎ something‎ I‎ had‎ not‎ seen‎ in‎ a‎ town‎ and‎ church‎ this‎ size‎ anywhere‎ in‎ America.‎

The‎ morning‎ service‎ began‎ with‎ a‎ prayer‎ time‎ and‎ approx‎ 80‎ plus‎ people‎ were‎ in‎ their‎ seats‎ anxiously‎ waiting‎ to‎ start‎ the‎ service.‎ Then‎ it‎ began,‎ testimonies‎ of‎ healing,‎ of‎ relationships‎ being‎ restored,‎ of‎ minds‎ clear‎ after‎ years‎ of‎ addictions,‎ of‎ the‎ intense‎ love‎ they‎ felt‎ at‎ this‎ church,‎ love‎ they‎ had‎ never‎ had‎ in‎ the‎ world.‎ Tears‎ flowed‎ down‎ our‎ faces‎ as‎ we‎ watched‎ in‎ awe‎ of‎ what‎ God‎ was‎ doing‎ in‎ this‎ small‎ town‎ America‎ church,‎ surrounded‎ by‎ years‎ of‎ religious‎ institutions,‎ disunity‎ and‎ selfish‎ ambitions.‎ We‎ saw‎ and‎ heard‎ the‎ sights‎ and‎ sounds‎ of‎ the‎ redeemed‎ and‎ it‎ was‎ glorious,‎ uplifting‎ and‎ so,‎ so‎ refreshing.‎ The‎ main‎ service‎ was‎ a‎ continuation‎ of‎ the‎ outpouring.‎ Men,‎ yes,‎ many‎ young‎ adult‎ men‎ at‎ the‎ altar‎ singing,‎ dancing‎ and‎ rejoicing‎ in‎ the‎ freedom‎ they‎ now‎ had‎ through‎ Jesus‎ Christ.‎ Then‎ maybe‎ the‎ most‎ amazing‎ part‎ of‎ the‎ day‎ was‎ the‎ Sunday‎ evening‎ prayer‎ service.‎ Yes,‎ America,‎ Sunday‎ evening.‎ The‎ time‎ most‎ churches‎ have‎ jettisoned‎ off‎ their‎ schedule‎ as‎ unimportant,‎ because‎ most‎ of‎ people‎ have‎ said‎ it‎ is‎ unimportant.‎ Not‎ at‎ The‎ River!‎ A‎ circle‎ of‎ 125‎ chairs‎ were‎ in‎ place‎ and‎ at‎ least‎ 100‎ people‎ were‎ in‎ their‎ seats‎ anxiously‎ waiting‎ time‎ to‎ start‎ the‎ service.‎

Then‎ the‎ testimonies‎ began‎ again,‎ then‎ declarations‎ over‎ lost‎ family‎ members,‎ worship,‎ and‎ prayer‎ for‎ one‎ another,‎ encouraging‎ words,‎ shouts‎ of‎ victory.‎ Oh‎ what‎ a‎ beautiful‎ sight‎ to‎ see.‎ What‎ a‎ glorious‎ sound‎ the‎ hear.‎ They‎ know‎ that‎ their‎ Redeemer‎ Lives‎ because‎ He‎ has‎ touched‎ their‎ lives‎ in‎ such‎ a‎ transformative‎ way‎ that‎ no‎ one‎ can‎ deny‎ the‎ fact.
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Reading‎ the‎ story‎ of‎ Mary‎ breaking‎ the‎ jar‎ of‎ alabaster‎ and‎ pouring‎ it‎ over‎ the‎ head‎ of‎ Jesus,‎ it‎ was‎ an‎ act‎ of‎ "extreme‎ devotion"‎ as‎ the‎ Passion‎ translation‎ reads.‎ What‎ we‎ witnessed‎ yesterday‎ was‎ acts‎ of‎ extreme‎ devotion‎ as‎ men‎ and‎ women‎ brought‎ their‎ alabaster‎ jars,‎ which‎ was‎ their‎ redeemed‎ lives‎ and‎ poured‎ it‎ out‎ in‎ worship,‎ love‎ for‎ one‎ another‎ and‎ deep,‎ deep‎ gratitude‎ for‎ someone‎ seeing‎ value‎ in‎ them.‎ 
Marys‎ act‎ of‎ devotion‎ upset‎ the‎ religious‎ minded‎ but‎ Jesus‎ was‎ moved‎ by‎ this‎ event‎ and‎ even‎ declared‎ her‎ act‎ would‎ be‎ noted‎ all‎ over‎ the‎ world.‎ ‎ 
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Could‎ this‎ act‎ of‎ devotion,‎ in‎ this‎ small,‎ off‎ the‎ radar‎ town‎ in‎ East‎ Texas‎ ignite‎ a‎ movement‎ that‎ could‎ salvage‎ the‎ mission‎ and‎ mandate‎ for‎ the‎ church‎ today?‎ My‎ eyes‎ have‎ seen‎ and‎ my‎ ears‎ have‎ heard‎ the‎ Redeemed‎ say‎ SO!!!