The Capital Idea is Joy!

By Paul Lintern, Editor, the Joyful Noiseletter

Sean Feucht (pronounced Foit) was speaking candidly to a group of pastors, two hours before stepping in front of about 2000 people on the Ohio Statehouse lawn Saturday, Aug. 24, for the 44th of what is to be 50 state capital worship services, called "Let Us Worship."

He was emphasizing the need for people to see the joy that the Gospel of Jesus brings to people in darkness.

"We see things on cable news and we say 'I can’t believe they're doing this,' and then we get on Facebook and share our anger, and I know why," he said.

"But what the world hasn’t seen is a whole lot of joyful warriors rejoicing in that fact that they know the end of the story."

He quoted Psalm 2, which begins "Why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain?"

He said, "as the armies assemble and as the darkness gathers and as they start to mock and cheer, and you can see it in America, this is straight up animosity for the church and followers of God." Much moreso than in decades past, calling it a demonic hatred for anyone that believes in the Bible, anyone that stands on it.

"Yet, in the midst of this demonic rage," Feucht says, "He who sits in the Heavens laughs."

He shared that the night before, as they were leading worship on the steps of the capital building in St. Paul, Minnesota, "there was a confidence and explosion of joy that was contagious."

"Who wouldn’t want to be part of that? It was a joyful explosion of fun. It was having a party."

He quoted Isaiah 42 "Sing to the Lord a new song… let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy and shout it from the mountaintops."

"Let Us Worship" began as a response to churches being shut down during Covid and a decision to keep worshipping, outside and in venues across California, and then in more than 400 cities since; the state capital tour was a vision Sean received two years ago, a drive to take this to each state capital and worship at the steps of the state houses.

It is not to be political and not to be a protest, but a prayerfest, a call for all to stand before God and praise the Author of Life, and the one who gives us the rest of the story.

"I am telling you, after we drove 14 hours through the night to get here, nobody does this stuff, and for good reason," he laughed, citing the expense, logistics of travel and that the capital cities being among the toughest to work with, resistant to the Gospel and full of red tape, different in each capital.

"If you have an idea, 'I'm going to go to all 50 capitals' or doing anything like this, make sure an angel opens a scroll before you start out," he smiled.

The two-hour service, on the front lawn of the capital building in the middle of Columbus, was staged in front of the great seal of Ohio embedded in the sidewalk, in which is found the state motto: "With God All Things Are Possible."

Communion on the lawn, an invitation to salvation, enthusiastic prayers by local pastors, songs that were led as worship rather than performance, and a strict enforcement by the State Patrol of the two-hour time permit framed the service, and found the band of worship leaders on the road by early evening, driving to Michigan’s state capital of Lansing for a Sunday afternoon service.

Following the 50th worship service later this month, the "Let Us Worship" tour will culminate in the nation’s capital on Oct 26. All events are free to attend; information is available at seanfeucht.com