To the outside observer, the Sunday morning worship service in our little inner city church was just routine.  We had our pre-service music practice with the usual mistakes and glitches.  People wandered in until almost noon (starting time is 11-ish).  The coffee urn was constantly in use.  Kids ran around; parents sometimes chased them.  It was our regular casual, but family-friendly time for people to connect with God.
The room we use as a sanctuary used to be a work-out space, floor hockey gym and storage area.  With a few adjustments to the electrical panel and some paint, we transformed a grey, institutional looking "Butler Building" into a place of worship.  And the Lord has met with us there.
Only a handful of us are still around who attended the very first Healing Hearts service.  So many things are different since that inaugural meeting.  The faces, the hairstyles, the sound equipment, the assortment of used coffee cups...but over the years, the Lord has led our leadership team and the congregation to keep the vision of a spiritual hospital within the northcentral Regina community.
As we sang songs of celebration, shared joys and sorrows with each other and heard a message from John 13 on servanthood by our lead Pastor, Bob Lydiate, we acknowledged God's faithfulness to us over the past 21 years.  Walter led the sharing time and took that opportunity to express once again, the vision to bring the hope of the Gospel to those who are hurting, addicted, struggling, outcast.  Jesus makes a difference.  Nothing is too difficult for Him.  Healing Hearts will continue in Regina and beyond with this aim and desire.
What God has stirred, no person or spiritual power can thwart.
Pastor Bob gave us all a few minutes, at the end of his sermon, to pray and get things right with Jesus.  It seemed appropriate for us to celebrate our ministry's milestone with a cleansing of our hearts and a fresh start to the fall.
And then, Pastor Nick organized the setting up of tables and Gwen gave direction to the pulled pork and side dishes for our anniversary meal.  We all pitched in.  It felt good to break bread together and visit around tables.
By about 2:30 pm, the last of the dishes were dried, the last dustpan of crumbs was emptied, and Walter and I sat in our car in the parking lot.  We sighed, feeling our age and yet experiencing that contentment that the Lord had blessed us and was not finished with what He began way back

in September, 1994.
To the outside observer, it may have seemed like a chaotic and frenzied event, but to those of us who have invested, it was a harvest of joy!