tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6330207378622435784.post-27407570108564071402008-05-16T09:05:00.000-07:002008-05-17T08:02:49.812-07:00Dearest All,<br />I speak to the one in all: God. The living Spirit in All that gives life & breath & direction to our internal=eternal Spirits. For we are not, as they say, humans having a Spiritual experience but Spirits having a human experience. We forget this, at times, as we rush through the daily grind of living a "human" experience. We forget that we are actually Spirits having a human experience, made human to bring in the flesh God's love & presence on Earth through our actions & deeds. We forget to touch base with our inner Spirit where God & love & truth reside.<br /><br />Well, if you are like me, & I am sure there are more like me me than not, you need to be reminded from time to time. And I found one such place on my journey through Seattle Washington. I speak of Liberation Ministries, which I want to give praise & testimony to. For it is a new, young & vibrant, church where one can go to be one with God & to feel the Spirit rise from within in a mighty crescendo of inclusive love & harmony. For it is truly a church where one can go to remember that you are a living breathing manifestation of God on Earth. For your Spirit aligns with God's spirit, in such a divine way that I just gotta testify.<br /><br />You see I came to Seattle to visit my beloved friend Allen Mosley. Now Allen had spoken of Pastor Darrell & his church & how I just had to come & experience his loving ministry. Well, talkin about it & experiencing it are 2 very different things! For I was not ready for what I was about to experience in the way of "inclusiveness" one experiences at Liberation Ministries.<br />You see my experience with Liberation Ministries started on Tuesday May 6TH with the Praise & Worship Choir ( See Photo Above). Allen, asked me to come to rehearsal with him where I was immediately asked to sing with the choir on Sunday, as I am a professional singer. In fact Cheri, the choir accompanist, or should I say the Rev. Cheri, who gave a most divine sermon on Sunday(see photo below), asked me if I would also sing a Ricki Byars song with her called "Use Me".<br /><br />Now this song speaks of being of service to God which is what I humbly try to to do every day of my life & in my music. But, I had not planned on singing only on enjoying Allen's joy for his church. So, I took a moment to go through my mental but but butts. As we are often apt to do when we are asked to rise up out of our comfort zones to be present. BUT, I believe in being of service & rising to the occasion whenever God speaks through others, to be there & to give. So, I pushed aside the thoughts running through my head: But Lisa, you haven't sang this song before, but Lisa you have no time on this trip to rehearse & decided I would be apart of this inclusive church, that was beckoning me to rise up in praise to God.<br /><br />So, Sunday I came to church knowing & trusting that God would be the way maker for my weary soul to sing her song into life. For we had been on 4 ferries in 5 days & traveled some 300 miles. And I am here to testify what God can do through us when we step out of the way., and give God the reins. For, like me, Rev. Cheri was weary, she had played piano in another church only that morning & fought through traffic to be there, run a rehearsal with choir, & give her 1rst sermon in 4 and a half years! WOW! And what a sermon it was.<br /><br />For she chose, like me, to push aside her thoughts, her mortal mind, & her "human" trepidations to be a vessel/a channel for God's voice. And what a magnificent voice she was. For she included every single member of Liberation Ministries in celebrating Mother's day. No small act when you think most of the congregation was of the male persuasion! But she spoke of us all inclusively being Mother's, being there for the children in the world, & for one another. And how we must push aside our "human" experiences, the ones that keep us from our Spirits, & be still & know that I am God. BE STILL & KNOW THAT I AM GOD!!! Be still & know God in you. And in doing so know God in all things. For God is the way maker.<br /><br />God certainly was that day for both Rev. Cheri & I. And anyone that was there that day can testify, as well, that Rev. Cheri was indeed a divine manifestation of God in word & in deed. For what made Rev. Cheri's sermon so "relevant" & timely is that she reminded us all that we all can be God in action & behold the Christ in us all when stop to be still & know that I am God dwelling in you. And that is just what I was able to do in being a member for a day at Liberation Ministries.<br /><br />Now I have sang all over & at many churches but never ever have I been made to feel so included, never have I been asked to rise up, in such a way & be the face of God in action as I was at Liberation Ministries. And as so many of you, as members of Liberation Ministries, are being called into service to be the face, the eyes, the ears the embodiment of God in action. For me this is what the teachings of Jesus were all about! And what a divine opportunity you all have being apart of Liberation Ministries.<br /><br />Really when you look at it so many of us go to hear the voice of God at a church through others, but are not asked to be the face, the voice of God in action & that is what makes this church so special. For you all truly are, as the church motto says where "religion meets relevance".<br /><br />So thank yous go out to all of you for being so relevant & for making me feel apart of something special. It was a blessing & and honor to be a member of your church for the day, for you are a very special church. It's not every church that lets you be apart of bringing God to human form-to be GOD in action!<br /><br />I especially want to thank Minister Austin for his divine direction of the Praise & Worship choir & for welcoming me with his warm & loving heart. To Rev. Cheri for asking me to minister with her through song & for her divine sermon which is still teaching me the truth of God. And that is to be still & know that I am God. And a BIG BIG thank you to Pastor Darrell who is a shining light of God's love on Earth, and who asked me to rise up today and be the voice of God through this blog. Thank you Rev. Darrell & all the congregants of Liberation Ministries for having a church where all are one with God, where all are included. You all keep being the face of God! And God willing, I will join you again...Till then <br /><br />Love & Bless Sings,<br />Lisa Cohen<br />http://www.lisacohenmusic.com<br /> <br /> <br />What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us<br />Ralph Waldo EmersonLiberation Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16297072265156173390noreply@blogger.com