O Lord Prepare me... Madie Oberg

*  Copied from this week's Server

Each Wednesday night the youth group meets in The Station for Sanctuary, our weekly youth worship.  It has been a mainstay in our group for many years.  I asked Madie Oberg, one of our ninth-graders, to write about what Sanctuary has meant to her.

“Wednesday has been my favorite day for a while now. It’s not my favorite just because it has a cool name like Hump Day, it’s because it’s Sanctuary night! The literal meaning of the word “sanctuary” is “the holiest place in the church; refuge or safe place.” When I arrive at Sanctuary, a wave of relief washes over me because it’s the one place I can leave all of my worries at the door. I don’t have to worry about the math homework that I haven’t finished, or the laundry that I still have to do at home, or even that stupid paper that’s due on Friday. They are all left sitting by the door for while I worship. Sanctuary is my home-away-from-home that makes me feel safer than my actual house. I am in a semi large room filled people that love and care for me. God speaks to me through every single person that I talk to. I see all of the students as my brothers and sisters and all of the adults as my parents. And when we are in Sanctuary, we all come together as a family and praise our Lord and Savior.”

I think she captures the heart of Sanctuary very well.  Each night, at the end, we sing the song Sanctuary.  If you have a 7th-12th grader in your family, make sure they join us on Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm.  I think it will prepare them “to be a living sanctuary for Him.”