Every week my dad, the pastor of Covenant Community Church in Fredericksburg, VA, sends his congregation a Worship Note to aid in preparing the congregation's hearts for worship. I particularly loved this weeks, so I'm sharing it here--that we all might be strengthened and encouraged as the Bride of Christ.

We will gather Sunday as the bride of Christ. That is, all who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb will gather as the bride of Christ. And as the bride, we will have the opportunity and freedom to "sing the praises" of our Bridegroom. I use that phrase -- "sing the praises" -- literally and figuratively. Yes, we will be able to sing songs that exalt Him. But in our times of prayer, we will have the privilege of declaring His praises aloud in the hearing of each other and the unseen beings who observe us. That is a great opportunity for us -- to testify with our lips to the greatness of our God and the power of His gospel. It is a means of reminding our fellow saints of their victory in Christ and reminding the demons of their defeat. May our lips be loosed to proclaim the greatness of our God.