From the very beginning of the dramatic opening to the powerful rendition of the Nazarene standard, "Called Unto Holiness," the 22,185 in attendance and the 10,395 watching online Sunday morning knew they were privileged to be in a very special worship service. The long tradition of beginning each General Assembly with the celebration of the Lord's Supper traces back to very beginnings of our denomination. The smiling faces and spirited singing reminded Nazarenes of our message, tradition, and legacy.

The rich reading of the Apostle's Creed helped worshippers sense their connection with that long line of Christians, stretching back into the dim outlines of the Ancient, Apostolic Church. What better to follow the recitation of the Creed than the hymn, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name." Updated with frequent refrains reminding us of our missional assignment, the audience stood in appreciation and affirmation of their faith and commitment to the Lord of the Ages.

General Superintendent Jerry D. Porter offered prayers for the people of God by inviting those who wished to kneel in the aisles. Speaking first in Spanish, Porter continued his prayer in English, symbolically embracing those who speak languages other than English who are members of our global church.

As in every Nazarene worship service, an offering was taken with a goal of receiving $150,000, 10-percent of which will go to missions in Haiti. The grinding poverty has not diminished the vibrancy of the Church's witness in that land. Nazarenes can write checks payable to the General Treasurer for this project. It was entirely fitting that the worship team presented the affirmation, "More Than Enough."

Matt Johnson offered a powerful performance of the song, "End of the Beginning," and the Spirit of the Lord graced his ministry.

As he walked to the podium, the speaker of the morning, General Superintendent Paul G. Cunningham, jokingly asked, "Did you like that little song?" He related how upon hearing Matt sing the song in his local church, the Spirit "quickened him" that Matt should sing it in the General Assembly Communion service.

Preaching from the theme, "The God of the Future is the God of the Immeasurably More," Cunningham said:

"God has chosen us to carry the vision forward. He trusts us, and He has equipped us for doing good. He has gifted us-or promised to us-everything we need to fulfill the mission. We serve a God is greater than our problems!

"This is a story too good to keep. That's why the Church of the Nazarene has been giving it away for a hundred years. It is such a great story. In fact, it is our mission to give it away, and we have gladly embraced the mission. We somehow knew that missions was the engine that God used to drive everything else."

Cunningham told the story of his early days as pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas. He told of the "miracle" offering his tiny, financially-strapped church gave to World Evangelism, and how when instructed by God, he borrowed $200 from a local banker to fulfill his portion of the gift. It is a story that has been told before, but its power and poignancy always inspire and intrigue. He followed:

"When we are generous with God and His work, He is generous with us, and He knows He can trust us with further ministry. He did just that."

Bringing the past to present, Cunningham told how that tiny church turned into today's College Church of the Nazarene, and how another example of God doing immeasurably more resulted in the establishment of what is now MidAmerica Nazarene University right next door. He continued:

"Let me ask you a question: Do you think I was ever sorry that I borrowed $200 for missions?

"God has said to me over and over again in tight places, 'Paul, never forget what I am able to do with $200-worth of obedience.' We are talking about the God of immeasurably more. More than we can ask. More than we can imagine."

The service concluded with the celebration of Holy Communion, officiated by all six general superintendents and hundreds of volunteer pastors lead by Larry Dennis, district superintendent for Central Florida.