elm street mission 2/24

last week was our annual service trip with the students. every time we go on this trip, one of the highlights is going to elm street mission in santa cruz and serving the homeless. this place is an old-time gospel mission, and they preach a firey message every night, and every night, those homeless Christians sing their hearts out from the hymnals.

every time we go, I always enjoy listening to the preacher, Mike Crane. he is a true hero to me, and the patron saint of santa cruz. this year he asked me to speak and it was one of the biggest honors of my life.

right before I went on to speak, we sang the hymns from the hymnal- and it made me remember all of those sundays sitting in my grandpa roger's church as he led singing through the hymnal; and I got pretty emotional. the song leader led out in the first few words of "how great Thou art" and I almost lost it. I found myself holding the hymnal one-handed just like my grandpa roger- and I knew that he was smiling on my from Glory as I was about to deliver the gospel in an old-time gospel mission. I did deliver that message- and God was in the room.

no particular point to share here- just a happy memory.
God is love.
-rev-rob