by Zach Dolan
Growing up in the Church I had my own idea of singing praises to God. Maybe, if you felt moved by the music, you raised your hands. Recently I have grown closer in my relationship with God and started to finally realize why we sing praises to God and even why people would raise their hands. This opened my eyes to the joy people have in worship. Recently I was given the opportunity to experience praise and worship at the Fresno Rescue Mission like I’ve never seen before and I can’t wait to go back.
I was invited to give my testimony at the Rescue Mission’s Academy program night for homeless and recovering drug and alcohol addicts for men. I accepted, not particularly knowing anything about the program. When I arrived and sat down I found myself in a room of about sixty to seventy scary looking guys. After a short introduction they projected a Youtube lyric worship video on the screen. At once, a man walked from his seat and paced around for a few seconds saying, “thank the Lord”, and “yes Jesus” then knelt down at one of the many prayer stations in the front. The music started and not ten seconds later there were four more up at the front. Some were on the prayer stations and others had their faces to the floor praying aloud and unashamed. Ten more seconds later counselors were yelling prayers with the authority from heaven over those at the front. The whole room was filled with the Holy Spirit and full-grown men unashamedly raising their voices to Jesus. Then there was me, absolutely taken back by the power coming from the room, and I joined in the chorus of jubilee with disregard to all other distractions and worries of judgment. We were praising the Lord and He was answering with His presence.
The last song finished, and we took our seats. The men in the front had just finished their prayers and all was quiet. When it was my turn to share, I got up and stood before a group of men who had committed heinous crimes and had come from the depths of darkness. How would the story of a middle class homeschooler affect the lives of these men? But I believe the Holy spirit had something to say, because even I, a homeschooler who grew up in church, saved at four, never missed a day of church was stripped bare revealing myself, broken and tattered by my sin and in need of a Savior. I know God had shown them, through my testimony, like many others before, that all are broken and need Jesus. Hallelujah!
If I had just one thing to say to you about the Rescue Mission it would be go and see for yourself the work Christ is doing in downtown Fresno. Come see Him dwelling in these men who have been reborn in Christ, get down and boogie without abandon, and praise the name of Jesus.
Hallelujah!