The Presence of God's people and the presence of God

In 1715 Isaac Watts wrote the lyrics to “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” and published the poem in Divine and Moral Songs for Children.

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

The last words of the anthem, “And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there,” helped form a deeply held conviction. We adopted a ministry theme that has served for the past two decades, “The presence of God’s people guarantees the presence of God.”

We, God’s people, are the temples of the Holy Spirit, the presence of God in this world. (1 Corinthians 6:19). Everywhere we go, God is present! The life applications are rich.
1. If we live with an awareness that God lives within, we will be vigilant about the reputation we establish as “God’s presence.” The preacher’s message often addresses the authority and blessing resulting from God within. The balance is that we in whom God lives are revealing the nature and acts of God to those who do not know Him.

2. Since God is light, and we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), we ought to be a redemptive influence. Our neighborhoods, workplaces, and recreation centers are to be flooded with the light of truth and blessing. The presence of God is present and powerful to referse the ravages of sin.

3. It is better for the world for those within whom God is present, to be widely distributed throughout all people. Consider how unpopular a mayor would be if he confiscated all the lights in his city and replaced it with a mega-watt bulb on top of city hall. Howe would people see to do daily chores in the dark? Yet, Christians thrive on clustering together and often fail to see they are effectively removing light from the place it is needed most.

4. The sounds of singing by Spirit-filled church-attending people were often heard in pre-air conditioned days. The joyful sounds of summer church services were driven outdoors through open windows, a simple reminder that the Word and worship were meant for the marketplace also.

5. Following the light analogy, we might consider the value of having ten churches of 200 placed in strategic neighborhoods being more effective than one church of 2000. The churches would be within reach of real people able to be touched and be moved with the feeling shared in real community. Is it time to consider the possibility that a smaller, properly ministering church is not something to be fixed, but to be celebrated because it is effectively distributing light to a dark place?

The great thing about writing is that one can present a subject, stir up thought, and have no concrete answers, and usually don’t hear too many objections! If we don’t have answers, maybe we should be begging for a venue, a forum for serious, prayerful consideration of some things that should be discussed.

In the meantime, I hope that many will memorize Mr. Watts lyrics and allow the present Holy Spirit create a liberal amount of thoughtful consideration to the themes suggested.

My favorite presentation of the ageless anthem can be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33cWtJ-dCHs. I encourage you to take time to listen.