Never have I ever had a man say, “As Jesus served His disciples, I desire to serve you.”� The men of the house gathered together, prayed and listened yesterday. What they heard the Lord saying was, “Serve the women of the house. Make their glory in the Lord known. Speak over them the truth of their royalty, their crowd of wisdom and their place at the alter as brides of Christ.” The house, over 20 people, came together for communal dinner, and then the men led praise and worship. They preached, they sang, they served. It was awkward, I must admit, to have a man kneel before me and ask if he can wash my feet. Yet the motivation and intention of the gesture was so pure, anxiety and nerves were washed away by a feeling of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Our worship was amazing. All four of the men spoke truth into the lives of us women. They proclaimed confidence, courage, beauty and wisdom into our hearts. Whether or not they know it, the actions of last night will be forever remembered in my mind. Andrew, Austin, JC and John Frank gave up pride, and took on humility as they declared themselves servants of the Most High God. They sought to act as Jesus acted. They read their Bibles, prayed over their motives and listened for His guidance. What they seem to have found was courage to lead a worship service, the words to preach life and prosperity, the hands to heal and the hearts to love. Can I just say, they even lit candles for the occasion!
Worship continued after the men exhausted their wisdom. Our squad leader, Holly, took over the guitar and lifted us all up. Her voice is amazing; you can literally hear her heart explode with passion for the Lord as she sings praise. Instantly my heart is full, my skin on fire, my spirit rejoicing. God blessed her with musical talent and she openly shares His gifts so that she may encourage, enlighten and enrapture others.
One of the praise songs was new to me. The Wedding Dress, by Derek Webb, spurs in me the desire to read about God’s love of His bride. Chapter 62 of Isaiah, describes Zion’s Coming Salvation. Isaiah wrote, “3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4You shall no more be termed Forsaken but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her5 as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (ESV).” Abundant grace, joy and love are obvious in Isaiah’s writings; yet we easily forgot that this pride in us is forever. It can also seem abstract to those who know nothing of grace or love. The lyrics of Derek Webb’s contemporary song bring build a picture of God’s love for us through wedding imagery. The chorus proclaims,
I am a whore I do confess, I put you on just like a wedding dress,
and I run down the aisle…run down the aisle.
I am a prodigal with no way home, I put you on like a ring of gold,
and I…run down the aisle, run down the aisle…to you.
The lyrical version of the wedding day feast, or the story of the prodigal son, this song helps me visualize my role as a bride of Christ. It powerfully convicts me in its simple and candid words. Without Christ I am nothing but a whore; yet I have been chosen, clothed in a beautiful white gown, and invited to meet Christ at the alter. He loves me more than humanly possible and thinks me more beautiful than I could ever dream. Without Christ I am worthless, foolish and wandering; but the light of Christ guides those who choose Him. We are offered a ring of precious gold that will forever seal our covenant with the Lord and again we can run down the aisle into His arms.
