Gospel Goosebumps

by Andrew McChesney

The advertising executive felt goosebumps on her arms as strains of beautiful choir music wafted into her office. It was not the first time that she had heard the music while at work behind her desk at the advertising agency that she ran in Bengaluru, India. It also was not the first time that she had felt goosebumps on her arms because of the music. But this time, she could not sit still.

Shakuntala went to the window of her second-story office to see what was going on. She could see people coming in and out of a building across the street. She wondered what was going on in the building. She looked down at her arms and wondered why she was getting goosebumps. A strong desire filled her to walk over to the building and see with her own eyes what was happening.

Slowly, very slowly, she made her way out of her office building and across the street. She felt a little uneasy entering the building because she didn’t know anyone there. Slowly, very slowly, she walked in the front entrance.

“Can I come in and listen to what you are doing?” she asked someone standing near the entrance.

“Come in, and sit down,” the man said, kindly. Shakuntala sat down and began listening. The choir was no longer singing to the music of an organ. Instead, a man was singing acapella. When he finished, Shakuntala boldly walked over to him.

“Where is the organ?” she asked. “Where are the songs that give me goosebumps?” The man was surprised. Shakuntala explained that she had been listening to the music from her office every Saturday for the past few weeks. She only heard the music on Saturdays.

Shakuntala returned to the church to listen to the music the next two Saturdays. As the choir sang, she looked in a songbook that she found on one of the seats. She learned the names of the two songs that had been giving her the biggest goosebumps. They were the hymns “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Be Still My Soul.”

On the third Saturday, she not only listened to the music but also stayed for the sermon about Jesus. Back at home, she thought, “I like what I heard about Jesus in that church. Since I liked it, why do I have pictures of other gods in my house?” She took down all the pictures and gave them away.

She kept going to church on Sabbath, and she kept feeling goosebumps while listening to the music. After a while, the pastor invited her to bring her family.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “They will come.” And they came. Her son, Joy, came first, and then her grandchildren also became interested. Even her housekeeper started attending. After Bible studies, the family gave their lives to Jesus. Shakuntala became an active church member, and one of her grandsons now serves as the church’s youth pastor.

Today, Shakuntala is 84 years old and has retired from working in advertising. But she remains grateful for the music that she first heard in 2005. It led her to Jesus. “I still get goosebumps when I hear the choir sing,” she said.

Andrew McChesney is editor of Adventist Mission.

World Church Prayer Requests

June 30 – July 6, 2023

• Please continue to Pray for the upcoming special 24/7 United Prayer event called “1Mind4 the Three Angel’s Messages that takes place June 30/July 1st. To learn more, visit: www.247unitedprayer.org
• Pray for the Euro-Asia division (ESD). Pray for peace in Russia and between Ukraine and Russia. Pray for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• Pray for the East-Central Africa Division (ECD) as they are organizing three Bible Conferences that will take place this month.
• Pray for the Riverview SDA Church’s Food Bank in Pasco, WA. Please pray they have enough food for over 900 people who are coming each week.
• Pray for Alas de Vida | Wings of Life ministries who are seeking to reach people in Central America through discipleship, aviation and health education. Pray that they will receive the needed resources to complete two churches under construction, and additional resources to equip and send out more Bible workers. (To learn more, visit: https://www.avida.one)

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