By Brother Tom Albin
Recently Maryle and I participated in a Christian Ashram in Canada. During the Open Heart, I expressed my need to experience the presence of the Living God—to sense and feel and see the Holy Spirit at work in and through the Ashram. It may seem an odd thing for a pastor and the guest Evangelist to name as a need. This was the need of my heart and my answer to the third question of the Open Heart:
It was the truth. I needed at least 15 seconds in the presence of the Living God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Today, many days after the Christian Ashram was over, I can say with all honesty and gratitude to God—with an overflowing heart—my need was met. It was so much more than 15 seconds, it was more than 15 hours of Spirit-filled, life-transforming, heart-warming, joyful, tearful—worship, prayer and praise. The depth of honesty and vulnerability of the lay witness was awesome—in every sense of that word.
The level of love and trust and cooperation among the young leaders and the older leaders was a beautiful to behold—a testimony to the value of intentional discipleship and spiritual wisdom.
The mother, daughter, and friends worship leadership was WORSHIP-FULL—from surrendered hearts leading us to sing praise to God—not a performance—an experience—the scripture is true and God does inhabit the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3, John 4:23-24).
The Bible teacher—a retired Canadian farmer—with a sound mind devoted to the study of both the Old and the New Testaments—helped us see how the Word of God through the prophets came to be fulfilled in the Living Word, Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh—full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for His presence in and through the Canadian Christian Ashram. It was precisely what Brother E. Stanley Jones believed the Ashram was call to be— “the kingdom of God in miniature.”
Dear friends, the Christian Ashram experience is intended to introduce us to the daily Ashram. Each day, in our home, we can “Open our hearts” to God. We can respond to the three questions. We can invest time in the written word (the Bible), meditate, and experience the Living Word (through the promise and presence of the Holy Spirit). At the end of each day, we can participate in the “Overflowing Heart”, giving thanks to God for all He did for us that day.
In this month of November and in this season of Thanksgiving may your heart overflow in worship, prayer and praise—and may you continue to express your gratitude to God through evangelical witness, generous giving, and loving actions toward all our neighbors (Mark 12:30-31).
