There's a story I remember hearing a long time ago. It's Sunday morning. The lady shakes her husband awake and tells him that he needs to get up and get ready for church. He grumbles a little bit, then rolls back over and goes back to sleep. Ten minutes later, she shakes him awake again, telling him that he needs to get up and get ready for church. It's very important for him to be there. Once again, he grumbles, and then rolls over and goes back to sleep. Finally, ten more minutes later, she shakes him awake and says that it's now urgent for him to get up and get ready. He sits up, looks at her, and replies, "I don't want to. I don't like the people there. They don't like me. I just don't want to go." His wife looks back at him and replies, "You have to go. You're the pastor!"
Sure, you might have gotten a few chuckles from that. I have to admit that there have been more than a few mornings where I have been less than enthused about getting up on Sunday to go through the whole usual Sunday morning thing. It's not that I dislike my career or anything. In fact, I really enjoy pretty much everything I get to do in the context of a Sunday morning. But yes, there are just some mornings where your get up and go has just got up and left.
Yet, I still get up and go. True, I have less of an option than most. My presence or absence will be noticed more acutely than most. However, I suspect that there are a great number of people who truly wonder about the vale of regularly attending worship. I've heard some of the reasoning. "I can worship Jesus wherever I happen to be." "I love Jesus, but His followers annoy me." "It's too early." "I don't get much out of it." "It's too boring."
We humans are great at making excuses. And yet, it's still there. In fact, it's one of the ten words that God spoke through Moses. "Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy." What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
I would even go a bit further with encouragement for worship. In the context of worship, we receive God's gracious gifts to us and are strengthened by His Word and Spirit. But even that still focuses on us as an individual. Worship is just as much about the community as it is about us as individuals.
We gather to worship for the additional purpose of strengthening and encouraging one another. We don't exist as a branch separate from the trunk, or from one another since we are all connected to the same trunk. The Bible uses different pictures to show our connectedness, a vine and branches, members of a body, a gathering of people called to a specific purpose, and the like. Also throughout the Bible are the exhortations to be with one another, to encourage one another, uplift each other, carry each other's burdens, and the like.
In other words, we are to be active in gathering with God's saints, and it's as much about their need for us as it is our need for God's gifts of grace. We also need them and the support that they bring. So when you ask yourself, Do I have to go to Church, just remember that being in worship is not only about you. It's about God, His grace, and helping and supporting your neighbor in every need.
Sure, you might have gotten a few chuckles from that. I have to admit that there have been more than a few mornings where I have been less than enthused about getting up on Sunday to go through the whole usual Sunday morning thing. It's not that I dislike my career or anything. In fact, I really enjoy pretty much everything I get to do in the context of a Sunday morning. But yes, there are just some mornings where your get up and go has just got up and left.
Yet, I still get up and go. True, I have less of an option than most. My presence or absence will be noticed more acutely than most. However, I suspect that there are a great number of people who truly wonder about the vale of regularly attending worship. I've heard some of the reasoning. "I can worship Jesus wherever I happen to be." "I love Jesus, but His followers annoy me." "It's too early." "I don't get much out of it." "It's too boring."
We humans are great at making excuses. And yet, it's still there. In fact, it's one of the ten words that God spoke through Moses. "Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy." What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
I would even go a bit further with encouragement for worship. In the context of worship, we receive God's gracious gifts to us and are strengthened by His Word and Spirit. But even that still focuses on us as an individual. Worship is just as much about the community as it is about us as individuals.
We gather to worship for the additional purpose of strengthening and encouraging one another. We don't exist as a branch separate from the trunk, or from one another since we are all connected to the same trunk. The Bible uses different pictures to show our connectedness, a vine and branches, members of a body, a gathering of people called to a specific purpose, and the like. Also throughout the Bible are the exhortations to be with one another, to encourage one another, uplift each other, carry each other's burdens, and the like.
In other words, we are to be active in gathering with God's saints, and it's as much about their need for us as it is our need for God's gifts of grace. We also need them and the support that they bring. So when you ask yourself, Do I have to go to Church, just remember that being in worship is not only about you. It's about God, His grace, and helping and supporting your neighbor in every need.
This past Sunday at St. Mark's Adult Sunday School we are studying about Worship. Worship is defined as the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. We discussed how worship isn't about receiving from God, but about giving to God. It is about following the 1st three commandments and the greatest commandment to Love God. While we may ask and receive from God during worship, our focus should be on coming together to show our love, and awe and gratefulness to God. We should approach our worship as if God is sitting in his throne at the front of the church. Maybe if we kept this image in our head during worship we would all do a better job of participating and showing real love for God and those around us. I know I am guilty of not keeping God first in my Life and sometimes that has included when I am in Worship. It is my prayer that I will do better to remember worship is about giving to God and show my joy to God for the great gift he has given me with the sacrifice and resurrection of his son.
ReplyDeleteI think as we become more individualistic our faith tends to follow. Many people try to see what God can do for them and not vise versa. I agree that its difficult to make Christ the center of our lives all the time but we still needcto try. Plus, where else can you receive those wonderful sacraments? !
ReplyDeleteWorship has many components to it. It's about us as individuals, and yet about the group. It's about what we offer to God, but also about God giving to us. Good thoughts, all! Keep them coming!
ReplyDelete