Easter Sunday, 2010. We were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus in Frisco, Texas, with my daughter and son-in-law.
Just before the service started, the Holy Spirit seemed to whisper the simplest of ideas to me.
And with it came the feeling of fresh air.
Do you know what that’s like? To live in a closed-off, almost stagnant world for so long that the simplest expression of truth or vision feels like a rush of adrenaline?
There, away from home, away from familiar surroundings, still reeling from the feelings of exhaustion, burnout, grief, and rejection, (each a story of their own), I found Him waiting for me. Ready to turn the lights on the horizon again.
For the last several days, in my mind and spirit I had been dwelling on a simple word. One I had used as a fictitious church name back in December.
The word: Ovation.
A charming word to me. It conjured up images of rising in honor of the Lord Jesus – the only one worthy of our highest praise.
Then came the fresh air – that simplest of ideas:
My life… His applause.
It’s the idea of being a worshipper in all I do.
My life… His applause.
Of worship without being limited to form. (Can you even imagine such a thing?)
My life… His applause.
The wheels began to turn…
How can I communicate that?
My God, how can I live it?
What can I learn about it?
How can I communicate it to others?
It’s a simple idea. To make my life an ovation to the Lord Jesus.
A standing ovation.
A resting ovation.
A hand-raising ovation.
An angry-at-sin ovation.
A thanksgiving ovation.
A preaching ovation.
A serving ovation.
A kaleidoscope of expression, labor, adoration, and creativity.
I felt the Holy Spirit begin to take me back to school, teaching me how to worship Him. But in the words of Habakkuk, it was a vision awaiting an appointed time.
This site is an unfolding result of that. And I believe the appointed time has come.
Over the next few posts, I’ll continue to unpack the origins of the idea.
In the meantime, what will you offer Him as your ovation today?
Popularity: 74% [?]
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
This looks great. I pray that the new Ovation site serves you as well as your readers.
Love ya,
Daddy
{ 1 trackback }