Between the two services on Sunday Morning I believe we celebrated 20 baptisms (1 at
9:30 and 19 at 11:15 – I’m still waiting to see the final list). It took a whole lot of people working behind
the scenes to make that happen and added something extra for all those who
manage the logistical and technical aspects of a Sunday morning. There were glitches to overcome (there are always
glitches) and lessons learned (we will always be learning) but there was a
powerful movement of the Holy Spirit in the room that still has me on a high!
I know that some people were disappointed that we didn’t
announce each name individually or have a chance to focus attention on each
baptism (we are going to work on way to incorporate that). That was a sacrifice for some but I’m
convinced that sacrifice was what enabled many of the unplanned baptisms to
occur.
Every baptism was meaningful but the last two will stick
with me for a while. Neither had planned
to be baptized yesterday but both expressed to me that they knew it was time to
ask Jesus to take care of their “stains.”
The last came up to me after the service was over – I think she was
nervous in front of people – and so as the room was empting, she was baptized,
with a friend standing next to me and, I’m convinced, all of heaven
celebrating.
What an amazing morning!
And then yesterday afternoon's Punk Your Trunk was a blast.
By now I’m no longer surprised, but still blown away by the energy and
creativity of the Mountaintop community.
We provided the parking spaces and small groups and families took over
from there. I’d never have imagined
“bobbing for limes” – but HS Senior Boys did (and even though it was a little on the cool side didn't mind demonstrating).
I’d never envision turning a VW Bug into and Angry Bird and then turning
that Angry Bird into a game – but the Brandon family did. I’d never dream of performing the Thriller
dance as part of a flash mob – but thankfully I was hidden in the middle and
surrounded by great dancers and so I did!
The best part was seeing so many (and we have no idea how
many) new faces. I ran into people that
I know we’ve been praying for (some of their names are written on the platform)
and I keep hearing stories of people making a first visit (or a first visit in
a long time) to Mountaintop.
We couldn’t have pulled off 20 baptisms without Linda Crump
and her team making sure every detail was covered. Melissa Sanderson’s Punk Your Trunk leadership,
leading up to, throughout and afterwards was exceptional. Willie Dillard’s ability to manage our
facilities with patience and grace is truly a blessing to all. The effort of every member of our staff and
the countless volunteers and small groups leaders was inspiring.
What an amazing Sunday!
There are a lot of favorite moments – but my very favorite
came at the end. The parking lot was
empty and Melissa’s team had just completed counting the money from the hot dog
sales (an important final task). We were
all more than ready to head home when Melissa stopped us and invited us to pray
together. So we did. We offered prayers of thanks for the weather,
the fun, for everyone who worked so hard and for not losing any kids! We prayed that seeds might have been planted
that will continue to grow in the hearts of individuals and families. As we prayed we could hear Philip and Allison
in the studio recording violin tracks for the Christmas CD (which makes awesome
background music for praying). It was great
leadership by Melissa, the perfect way to end a very full day and a great
reminder that prayer is the engine that drives Mountaintop!
Well done everyone!
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