Welcome back, and Happy New Year everybody!

Yesterday in the 11:11 service, I threw out the suggestion that we might use Deuteronomy 11:11 as a kind of theme verse for the contemporary service in the future. The verse speaks of the quality of the Promised Land, which the Israelites are about to enter: “But the land into which you are about to cross to occupy is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water from the rain of heaven.”

I didn’t have much time in the sermon to elaborate, but the general thought was that the Promised Land was going to be a place where the people and crops would be sustained by adequate rainfall throughout the year. Rain from heaven — from God! — would be the one, dependable resource in this land.

The Promised Land, then, would be a place of constant refreshing. And I argued that the 11:11 worship service ought also to always be a place of refreshing. No matter what happens to you during the week — no matter how difficult your circumstances — you ought to come to worship and be refreshed!

We are blessed with musicians and worship leaders who play music which is refreshing in its energy and sincerity!

We are blessed with Pam and Paul’s refreshing words of simplicity and hope for the children!

As preachers, Katherine, Dretha and I are charged with the task of refreshing you. We are to encourage you by reading the Word of God and then proclaiming it in such a way that you leave, filled up and ready to serve.

Every time you come to worship, whether at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:11, you ought to leave refreshed. But I believe that we have a special purpose and vision at 11:11. We have a different style that especially lends itself, I believe, to this task.

A few months ago, when the band and worship leaders met together to begin crafting a new vision for the contemporary service, one of our ideas was to give our service a special name that would reflect our vision. Reflect a bit, if you will, on Deuteronomy 11:11, and then we’d love to hear your suggestions on naming the service. Thanks!