I grew up Pentecostal. I still am Pentecostal. I may go to an Anglican Church and serve as an ordained deacon, but that doesn’t drive away anything of the Spirit.

Finding a way to make those things stay viable and fresh and renewed does prove to be a challenge at times. But there are moments. And here I simply just risk sounding plain goofy, but this is what I would pour out in my journal…

There are moments. Glory. Joy. His presence. Oh! JOY!

It started out as a distraction, really. I was studying the Book of Revelation and was in the Letter to Laodicea. That brought up in my memory the Steve Camp song (anyone remember Steve Camp?) “Living in Laodicea.”

And off I went chasing squirrels and bright shiny objects.

I listened to the old Steve Camp song. The next recommended was from Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and off I went. I LOVE me some Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing some camp meeting songs!

Back to Revelation. Look up… oh look! SQUIRREL! Off I go to YouTube again. I saw Hillsongs and a combo of songs: “What a Beautiful Name/Break Every Chain.” I couldn’t help myself. I put my earphones in and started to listen.

Then… there is no other way to describe it… GLORY.

I mean in the old way I used to hear it and say it myself when I was growing up in the Pentecostal church. His presence came down in my room. Tears flowed. There was a point where the leader, Brooke Ligertwood, put down her guitar and bowed to the floor. Undone by the presence of God. The rest of the band picked up the song and kept going. In that moment, the floodgates opened!

Tears. Joy.

There’s an old OLD song I used to hear as a kid: “Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.”

Another description a few years ago I read was heaven is not “up there” far away. It’s a thin curtain and every once in awhile the curtain is drawn back and heaven and earth join together and the worship of heaven is joined by the chorus of earth…

I was lost in that song and then looked at the next one: “Jireh” by Maverick City Music.

There are beautiful moments of worship. For me, this is what went on for 20 minutes. Just those two songs… heaven opening… and his presence.

There are those times… all I can say is this: GLORY