DON’T YOU WANT TO GO TO THAT LAND?

One week ago, my wife and I had to fly back to Indianapolis from Baltimore, Maryland. We arrived at the BWI airport in plenty of time to check our luggage and head to the gate where we were to catch a plane to Charlotte, North Carolina and connect with a flight that would get us back home in Indianapolis, Indiana by 11:00 p.m. When we went to the designated gated, there was a posting, “Flight Delayed Until 7:00 p.m.” Were we a little concerned? Probably more than a little! You see, our connecting flight in Charlotte was scheduled to depart at 8:30 p.m. We waited patiently and returned a couple of more times to check when our plan would be ready to board. We saw that the plane we were waiting on would be delayed later, then later, and them much later. I’m really concerned! I needed to get back to Indy before Sunday School time, but that was starting to look doubtful.

A couple of airline personnel finally came to the desk at the gate where we were waiting on our plane. My wife approached the representatives and asked if there was any way they could get us back to Indianapolis that night. One of the airline reps started clicking away at the keyboard, seeming typing at a rate of 200 words per minute, searching, earnestly trying to make it happen for us. He succeeded and we caught a flight to Chicago that connected to a flight scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis at 10:30 p.m. Did I mention we were doing the HMJ prayer the entire time? (HMJ if you don’t know stands for “Help me Jesus!”)

The plane leaving Chicago was delayed about a half hour. When we got on the plane, I turned my HMJ prayer to a TYJ (“Thank your Jesus!”) prayer! In my head, silently I sang a song, confident that we would make it home that night. The primary lyrics of the song that echoed in my mind at that time were, “There is joy in that land!  There is joy in that land! There is joy in that land where I’m bound!”

Yes, of course I was just happy to be going home. Now the lyrics I was singing silently are actually from a song that centers in on joy in heaven land.  And yes, there is joy in that land, the epitome of joy is there!

Today, a week has passed, and I am still joyful about getting home. But you know what? Tomorrow is Sunday and while I am not going to heaven land tomorrow, I am going to a piece of land on this earth where the church that attend is located. If you are in Indianapolis and you can find your way to 4925 West 36^th Street, let me give you some more lyrics from the same song to serve as a personal invitation. “Don’t you want to go to that land! Don’t you want to go that land? Don’t you want to go to that land where I’m bound, where I’m bound?”  I hope you read this in time to make it to our 9:50 a.m. service Sunday. We will be installing our new pastor, who just happens to be my oldest son!

Wait a minute, I hope your answer was “Yes!” to my invitation. But if you cannot make it to “the land” where my church is at, please make it you a church, for there are plenty of good churches near you, on this land on which we live. Be blessed!

“Come, let’s shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! Let’s march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean—he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God, who made us! Oh yes, he’s our God, and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.” (Psalm 95:1-7 MSG)

Committed to the climb,

Mark L. King