the earth is filled with His glory

Last night I finally made it to CharlotteOne with Blair! This is the young adult fellowship in Charlotte that meets each weeks & hosts hundreds of young worshipers. I learned about it back in August, but through different circumstances haven't been able to attend until this week. I know God had a reason for keeping me away up til now, but I hope I can go for the next few weeks. I was challenged by the message (relationships! sex! ah!) and met God in the atmosphere of worship. The second song we sang was Chris Tomlin's "Holy is the Lord"--which normally draws a groan from me. It's an awesome song, but SO overplayed. But isn't it funny how God can speak to us through the walls we put up? I was overcome by the phrase "the earth is filled with His glory."

oftentimes in worship, while I'm singing with my whole heart, I'm asking things of God. God, what does it look like for the earth to be filled with Your glory? How can I contribute to that? Lord, make it true of me, that I need nothing but Your love. Make it true of me. What does this look like? I think when we're truly honest with ourselves and God, worship becomes more of a prayer.

So as I was singing "Holy is the Lord," I was thinking what it tangibly looks like for the earth to be filled with God's glory. It's in the multiracial faces of my preschool children--it's when they recite their Bible verse, "He is risen!" It's in the way we serve one another--those we don't know, those we know, and those we don't like. It's in our churches' youth who ask the tough questions because they're looking for real answers. It's in this gathering of young adults who come together to worship God as a generation as countless millions have done before them.

Then I was struck by an image--Franklin Street on championship night. Chapel Hill was filled with the glory of UNC basketball. An absolute stupor of celebration, victory, exuberance, passion, unity.

Where in our lives are we doing this for our God? When are we so passionate for Him that we're willing to stay up all night, jump over bonfires, scream at the top of our lungs, and slap hands with random strangers? I was challenged to take my part in celebrating the Lord's glory on earth as whole-heartedly as I have celebrated such temporal, trivial things as the NCAA championship. Stay up all night in prayer, walk by faith, preach the Word, reach out a hand to the least of these. Fill the earth with His glory.

One day we'll dance in His streets of gold, before His throne.