Where to begin? I recently had the distinct blessing of sharing a weekend of joy, celebration, music, teaching, praising and glorifying my Precious Lord Jesus in song and prayer, with my dearest friend and sister in Christ. It was a weekend of refreshment in the Lord and the renewal of a precious friendship.
We were fortunate to spend the time there in her family’s little house right in Oak Bluffs.
The setting for this Inspiration Weekend sponsored by In Touch Ministries was the Tabernacle at Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, one of God’s loveliest creations. With The Tabernacle’s history and the idyllic natural beauty surrounding it, it was the perfect place to fill my heart and soul with His glory.
All this, and the highlight of the weekend. The blessings of a humble and eminently gifted messenger of the Lord, Reverend Charles Stanley. His teachings were, as always, profound yet simply stated. Eternal truths from the inerrant Word of God. His messages resounded with the timeless and boundless beauty of God’s wisdom and most of all, His unfailing, unconditional love and grace for all of us. His delivery of the Gospel message was truly inspiring. His messages left me thirsting for more of God’s Word.
Lest you think that a Christian gathering such as this is all “talk”, let me assure you that our joy in the Lord is expressed in many ways. Yep, we love to have fun, and laugh, and sing, and just have a great time…and sometimes we do get a bit rowdy…LOL.
We laughed till we cried at the comic mimicry of Louise DuArt , also called the "woman of a hundred voices," who can carry on conversations between Joan Rivers, Edith Bunker, Barbra Streisand, Barbara Walters, Whoopie Goldberg, Judge Judy, and a few dozen others, all at the same time. As her husband SQuire Rushnell says, "I never know who I'm waking up next to."
We were enchanted by the incredibly talented Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. whom you may remember from The Fifth Dimension. They are currently celebrating 40 years in the entertainment business (and 40 years of marriage!) and performed a musical tribute of the hits and productions that have made up their multi-faceted careers. They have been walking with the Lord for many, many years and they swept us “Up, Up, and Away” with their performance. Listen carefully to the words of the music video I’ve included. It speaks well to the unconditional love of God, as well as the ideal of love between husband and wife.
And last of the featured entertainment, but by no means least, the amazing and multiply talented Annie Moses Band, a “Christian family of Juilliard-trained musicians and award-winning songwriters dedicated to virtuosity in the arts. Led by lead singer/violinist, Annie Wolaver, the Band includes her six siblings: Alex, viola; Benjamin, cello; Camille, harp/keyboard; Gretchen, violin/mandolin; and Jeremiah, on guitar and banjo. Add the veteran song-writing talents of their parents, Bill and Robin Wolaver, and you have a dynamic group with roots in classical, pop, and jazz. Together, they are leading an artistic renaissance in the church through musical excellence, strength of family, and a message of faith, inspiring all generations to join in the discipline, beauty, and excitement of highly skilled musicianship.”
I would be remiss if I did not add the name of Gary Menzies to the list of many blessings the Lord bestowed upon us on this glorious weekend. His incredibly amazing piano artistry is, indeed, a gift of God. I have rarely, if ever, been so enthralled and enchanted by such a beautiful and accomplished performance of classical, semi-classical, and contemporary musical selections. A blessing in ebony and ivory.
Oh yes, we surely, mightily, and loudly praised God in music and song and in prayer. Sing hallelujah, sing praise to the Lord. An Inspirational Weekend indeed!
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