Tornadoooooo

It started raining when I walked to worship this morning. It was really nice, actually. Just enough rain to be interesting, to keep me cool, to say that I had walked in the rain.

But it wasn't until after worship, talking with others in the fellowship hall that the pastor announced, "Everyone, there is a tornado watch and all church activities for the day are cancelled!"

What? Tornado? Coming from the West Coast, tornadoes are just plot mechanisms for fairy tales. But no, he was serious. Huh ... wonder what this will be like.

We ate lunch with Rachel's parents at our house and sat around for a bit while we chatted and relaxed. Conversation wrapped up and we said our goodbyes. Just as they stepped foot out the door, there was a mighty surge of wind. I held my breath as if in danger of being dunked underwater - then everything bent sideways under blasting* rain and wind. I couldn't even see across the street. Rachel's parents jumped back inside and we slammed the door as we shuffled over to peer out the window, which was rattling with the roaring wind and rain. The house shivered under peals of thunder.

Is this God's anger or his laughter?

Skeleton trees stood in the pounding rain and wind with their hands held high, crying, "What more can you take from us, God? We are bare before you! All of our leaves have been smattered to the ground! Will you now uproot us and blow us away too?"

As I am writing this, five hours later, the thunder, wind and rain continue to shake our house. Lightning lights up our windows. I hear limbs crashing to the ground.

On a tornado watch, I realize I am at the mercy of something much greater than I realize. Perhaps this is today's God-appointed evening worship service: all of our little house-chapels shaking under the awesome power of God's creation.

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;

worship the Lord in holy splendor. 

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders, 

the Lord, over mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,

and strips the forest bare;

and in his temple all say, "Glory!"

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

May the Lord give strength to his people!

May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Psalm 29

*This is really not the best word here. I don't think there is a good word. Squall, wave, shower (nope), downpour, sideways geyser, earthshakingmegablast. You know that feeling when you throw up and you close your watering eyes and you tremble as pressurized stomach liquid blasts out your mouth and nose, cutting off your airways? It was kinda like that, except Grand Haven is the throat, mouth and nose and the wind and the rain is the vomit.