Belonging to Omaha

It's a good idea, when a snowstorm is predicted, to go to Omaha, Nebraska. If you're blessed, you'll get a tour of the city and a free cup of tortilla soup. You can watch the first flurries fall outside the restaurant window.  Try to wait out the storm in an artfully decorated home, if you can, where the fireplace's warmth is matched only by the home's occupants, and a dog named Foley. He doesn't mind warming at least one of your feet for you.

Last weekend the women's ministry of Omaha Bible Church brought me in, showed me Christ's love and sent me home full.  I brought new friends home on my little handheld device, that I can talk with from Wisconsin. And that's good, because strangely, I miss them.

My favorite part of speaking at women's retreats is going to church on Sunday. But it wouldn't be the same if I didn't get to meet almost a quarter of the congregation ahead of time. It's fun to look around and make eye contact with familiar faces knowing they are rejoicing at the same truth I am, as the preacher says, "I'm so glad I came to church today." Of all the places you might have been, you weren't as glad as we were, unless you also were told how to live forever, and have all your sin removed and your shame erased for good.

I've said it before and I'll tell OBC again, Christ in me enjoys Christ in you. The world has nothing on us. Christians have family they've never met before, in other places around the world.  When they  finally meet, they know they belong. It's deeper and stronger than can be explained in a short blog post, especially written by me. It's a forever relationship I didn't know I had. It's all the same "of courses" understood, believed, Amen-ed and obeyed.  It's a common killing of fleshly self-will giving way to a rebuilding of new character.  It's a whole room of us beckoning the dead to finally come awake and join us in the kind of elation that is only known by prisoners set free,
prisoners set free, by Christ.  It's living isolated and then finally belonging, belonging to Christ.


listen to the sermon here
Pastor Abendroth
Omaha Bible Church