hands in the camera.

"Imagine how beautiful that is to God."

His words surprised me. Jolted me a little. I'd never thought about it.

I was in the production room last Wednesday night, watching the worship from the monitor feed down in the house. There's a camera that takes from right behind the first few rows, and I had commented that I think that the screen shot of lifted hands is stunning. Always. Every time I see it, my heart rests. The beauty of a hand stretched to God is simultaneously thrilling, and comforting.

"Imagine how beautiful it is to God," the director responded.

He was right. It hadn't occurred to me that however beautiful it is to me, however soothing and in whatever way it calms my soul to see--God must be so, so much more pleased. Those hands are His, after all. His in creation, and His in worship.

The conversation continued, and in it, I was reminded that it's not just my hands that belong to God. As we talked about James River, and what makes it such an incredible church I was thrown back to my first days here. Then as now, I was pulled in by the strongest sense that Christ was present amongst the people of the church. They acted with uncommon grace, and even in the absence of their words or deeds, you could just feel the presence of God.

It was a game-changer for me. And it all, constantly, insistently, pointed back to God. All of these things that were very human--great production, sharp aesthetics, professionalism--somehow managed to be solely about Christ. To point to Him. To beckon me onward toward Him.

It all belongs to Him.

When I left my first church at 15 or 16, shortly after having found it, I had the strongest sense that I had fallen in love with community, not with Christ. I promised myself I'd never do that again, and I think that I became somewhat distrustful of my own relationship to the Church because of that. But I've seldom worried about that at James River. Make no mistake, I am in love with the people. I am in love with the church. But from the beginning, both the church and its people have consistently pointed me back to Christ. My love for them flows from my love for Him, and that is the greatest gift.

When I lift my hands, I lift them to Him, and to Him alone.

My heart is relieved.