When the Lights Went Out, He Showed Up

Everything was ready. Water bottles, chips, and cookies — generously donated by Thrivent Financial — were arranged in the beautiful courtyard. The speakers were tested, the music rehearsed, lyrics uploaded and shared. A fabulous PowerPoint had been lovingly assembled. The talented staff at Northminster Presbyterian Church had everything running smoothly. We were being live-streamed. We were, as they say, rocking the house.

And then God smiled and cleared His throat.

Not an hour into the carefully planned event, the first drops of rain fell. Then came the low rumble of thunder in the distance. And then — the electricity went out.
No big deal, we told ourselves. It'll come back on. Leaders know how to pivot.

The electricity never came back.

The church interior fell dark. The monitors went silent. The AC stopped humming. And yet — nearly every one of the roughly 100 attendees stayed. The sanctuary doors were thrown open wide to let in the cross breeze, and the sound of praise spilled out into the surrounding neighborhood. His name, lifted into the night air.

"We didn't need lights and videos and fancy tech to worship the Lord. We need only to raise our hands and voices in open adoration to the One who gave everything."

Thunder continued to roll. Rain fell in a steady, almost rhythmic percussion. Reverent prayer rang out — and still the lights stayed dark. (A detail worth noting: it was later discovered that the power outage affected only about 40 customers. Just those surrounding the church. Just that one small corner of the world, for those sacred hours.)

This evening was a Pentecost celebration — a feast that takes place 50 days after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the early followers of Jesus. It is the moment that empowered them to boldly preach the Gospel to the world. It is, beautifully, regarded as the "birthday of the Church".

On this night, something holy happened. On this night, I believe the Church was reborn.

No denominational boundaries. No agendas. No prideful boasts. Just a shared bedrock-belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ — and a room full of people willing to sing "Amazing Grace" entirely from memory, in the dark, while the rain came down.

Pastor Jasmine Hernandez's prayer that evening — a heartfelt plea for the Lord to restore honor and make us one — moved many who were present.

And then there was Pastor Jamie Benjamin, going deep — asking not only for forgiveness of our sins, but of our secret sins and our hidden motives. Asking God to make us whole. To give us a new heart.

Pastor Jesse Northway called us to repentance. And repent we did.

Praise, repentance, and forgiveness filled that space for over two hours. Tears ran. Hands were raised. The love of God moved through the room like a warm and steady current, and nobody wanted to leave.

When we finally did, the electricity was still out.

In that upper room — the very birth of the Church — there was no electricity either. And somehow, on this night, we came full circle.

God didn't need our speakers or our screens. He needed our willingness to stay in the dark long enough to truly see Him. And oh, how clearly He shone.

Happy birthday, Church. What a night to be alive.

Jennifer Dellerman, City Networks Specialist