I Think We Started Something.....

Last night we had the first of our "Pure" services in Linlithgow. This was intended to be a public worship service in our local area, something that those of us who live in this area could invite our friends to, and just to basically worship in the heart of our community.

So here's what happened. We met in the Burgh Halls, right in the centre of town, just down the path from the old Linlithgow palace (Mary, Queen of Scots was born there and Scottish royalty used it as a residence since the 12th century). Funnily enough it's also just next to the masonic lodge, which was interesting. I had a plan for the format of the evening, worship then some teaching and some ministry. As soon as we started the first song, that all went out the window, all we could do was worship for the rest of the time, the presence of God was so thick in the room. It actually felt more like a declarartion, a repossession of this ancient building and this ancient town. The vibe was strange but good, a mixture of elation and fear. We of course finished in the Vineyard tradition of coffee and cake! Just about everybody wanted to do it again, which is always good, so we are going to make it regular and see if it grows into anything. I had an incling of the significance of this meeting with the intense spiritual warfare that went on the night before (I had a very bad night, nightmares, irrational feelngs of terror etc). And today Deb is off work with a migraine and she is just wiped out. So, please keep praying for us. Just within a 25 mile radius our area has a very bloody, violent history, lots of occultic practice going back to pre-Roman times, and good old fashioned oppression caused by economic and spiritual factors. I have always thought that we went last night to pick a fight and to begin our stand for the lost, looks like we've started something...