You know the tense moments, after the fancy invitations have gone out. Money is spent on décor and supplies. Door prizes are purchased. You have exciting entertainment on hand. There’s a live band on hand, ready with the popular tunes of the day. You’re hoping everyone will come. In fact, you’re praying for a fantastic turnout. The day arrives and ?
No one comes.
Awkward, right? I wish I was referring to a childhood birthday party. I even wish I was referring to an adult dinner party. Sadly, no. This similar situation happened at a church event last week.
There was a bit of money spent in radio advertising, as well as fancy posters and small flyers. The stage was set with a backdrop matching the skydiving theme; parachute and jumper’s back pack included. Awesome door prizes were handpicked with the target audience in mind. A few musicians came together and formed a band, just for this event. Hours of daily rehearsal time went into the musical aspect. Music was nearly as vital as the spoken word. There were weeks of prayer and anticipation. The opening night arrived and ?
Hardly any of the target audience showed up.
We had great support from church members; mostly those much older than youth age. They reveled in the entire week. Night after night, an audience arrived eager to hear the Word of God. They were blessed by the music. Many guests hope that the band will stay together now that the event has passed. There was a buzz of disappointment in the air on Saturday night, as the week ended.
The flip side of this: there are people, of all ages, that are hungry for the Gospel message. God’s Word is bigger, stronger, and much more powerful than a semi-empty room. Though the program format was geared towards youth, the older folks who came loved it and refused to miss even one evening.
Just when you think you’ve got it all covered, God reminds us that He’s in control. We yearned for the event to happen His way.
It did.