Worship is not a spectator sport

How was your worship experience today?  Were you moved?  Were you fed?

Common questions.  And I’m not saying they are bad questions.  But I will say that they should not be the only questions we ask after we worship with other disciples of Jesus.  These questions focus only on us.  And worship is not first of all about us!  What’s more, it doesn’t end with the final song.

Here is a fresh reminder of what worship is (and is not) from Kevin G. Harney’s book Seismic Shifts:

Worship is not a spectator sport.  We don’t come to sit in an audience while a group of people perform for us.  There is an audience in worship, but it is not the congregation; it is God.  We, the people of God, are all on the stage, and God alone is the recipient of the praise we express.

Worship is about giving ourselves to God.  …Our worship does not end with the closing prayer or benediction.  Worship is a condition of our heart.

We can’t confine worship to a set time of the week in a certain place.  We are God’s worshippers at all times and in all places. (pp. 66-67, 68)

Related:
I’ve quoted Kevin Harney a couple times before…
::  17 Sep 2009: ”Falling Asleep While Praying”
::  19 Sep 2009: “Sword Fighting”

Revolutionaries who remember

 

I doubt anyone came to the Telkwa Cenotaph for today’s Remembrance Day observation thinking they were radicals or revolutionaries.  But in at least one way, everyone there was just that by the very fact that we were taking time to remember.

Remembering is not an activity that is held in high regard in our society and culture; anything over a month (a week?) old is irrelevant.  How far back does your Facebook newsfeed go by default?  A few hours?  A kid who’s part of the same church as I am told me the other day that my 2-year-old computer is an antique!  In general, if we’re not preoccupied by the present moment, we’re thinking about the future – our own personal future, or what the world or technology or the climate will be like in years to come.  That we spend time remembering things that may well have happened long before we were even born can certainly be seen as radical, even revolutionary in our time!

I submit, however, that remembering is not only a good thing to do (e.g. to be encouraged by God’s provision in the past or to learn from yesterday’s dumb mistakes), it’s also a biblical thing to do.  Think of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River.  Ushering them into the Promised Land, God parts the waters like He did with the Red Sea at the beginning of the exodus.  However, before they all make it across the Jordan, God commands some people to take boulders from the middle of the riverbed and pile them up on the other side.  Why?  Here’s God’s reason:  “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’  For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over…  He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God” (Joshua 4:21-24).  In short, God wanted them to remember and pass along what He had done for them.

Similarly, we gather at a monument today to remember fallen soldiers who fought so that we may have a free country (something we so often take for granted).  As we remember events from the past, we can give thanks to God for how He has orchestrated history in such a way that Canadians live in freedom today.  But what’s more, in thinking about historical events, we see ourselves as part of something bigger than just ourselves.  We find ourselves part of a larger story.  We might not know a single one of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives, and yet our lives have been impacted for the better by them.

The apostle Paul encouraged young Pastor Timothy with these words: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.  This is [the] Gospel…”  I don’t think Paul only means for Timothy to remember Jesus’ divinity and humanity as historical facts or as a spiritual reality – though those things are certainly good and true.  I hear Paul encouraging Timothy to remember Jesus so that Timothy can find himself part of the larger story of Jesus’ life and mission.  It’s as though Paul is saying, Think about Jesus and how, because of Him, you are part of a grand, ongoing story that has meaning and a purpose.

This is a great story.  It will revolutionize your life.  This story takes seriously our brokenness and pain.  It takes seriously the wars that were fought and are being fought – many overseas, many in our own strife-filled homes.  This grand story reminds us how we are lost in sin.  …Lost in sin apart from Christ.  In Christ, there is forgiveness and redemption!  This isn’t something to just think about on your deathbed; this is something in which to immerse yourself today.  Jesus invites you to find your identity, to locate and live your particular story within the larger narrative of His story of redemption.

Part of this involves remembering men and women who have given us the ability to explore such things in freedom regardless of our convictions about warfare.  And part of this involves remembering who you were apart from Christ, how He has rescued you from the devil-warlord, and where He desires to lead you in freedom as you are obedient to Him.  (Freedom in obedience…  It sounds like a paradox, I know.)

So I encourage you to remember.  And to remember well.

Artwork:
”Valiant Poppies” by Amanda Dagg

Inspired in part by:
”Jake’s Gift” by Julia Mackey

In the good company of doubters

I preached on John 20 this past Sunday, which includes the well-known story of “Doubting Thomas.”  Personally, I think Thomas has gotten a bad rap.  Two reasons…

::     O  N  E     ::

People perceive Thomas as a failure because they perceive that doubt = bad.  That’s not true.  Doubting something can lead you to investigating it and discovering its veracity (or lack thereof) for yourself.  Having doubts – even about faith – can actually end up strengthening faith.  Thomas’ time of doubt concludes with him confessing to Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (20:28).  From this famous (or infamous) doubter comes “the greatest confession of the Lord who rose from the dead” (George R. Beasley-Murray’s commentary on John’s Gospel, p. 385).  This can be anyone’s experience, assuming you decide to actually wrestle with your doubts.  If you say you have doubts about faith but do nothing to work through your doubt, then I’d call it cynicism or flat-out disbelief, not doubt.

Because people perceive doubt = bad, I think many hear disappointment or impatience in Jesus’ words when he says to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe” (20:27).  I do not believe that accurately captures the tone of Jesus’ voice or the language of His posture.  Instead, I see Jesus simply doing what He always does – taking the initiative, doing what it takes to draw, to woo people to Him.  So Thomas is not a failure.  He serves as part of the picture of what Jesus can and will do to strengthen people in their faith.

 

::     T  W  O     ::

The other reason Thomas has received a bad rap is because he is often portrayed as the only doubter in the room.  It’s only been one short week since the rest of the disciples were in the same room, “the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders” (20:19).  Why were they huddled together in secrecy and fear?  They had heard the report of Mary Magdalene, that she had seen the empty tomb and the living Jesus.  Why else were they huddled together in secrecy and fear except for the likely reason that they doubted Mary’s report.  They, too, wouldn’t believe the report without proof!  A week before the events concluding John 20, the room was filled with doubters.  In John 20:25, Thomas is the only one doubting now, yet he’s the one we single out and call Doubting Thomas.  The poor guy.  (Gail R. O’Day writes about this in her commentary on John’s Gospel, pp. 846, 849.)

Personally, I receive comfort in reflecting on how I am in good company when I have doubts, knowing that the very first disciples experienced the same thing – and had their doubts taken seriously and resolved.

Art:
”Doubt of Thomas” by modern Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe.
www.scriptum.com/art.cfm?rec_id=1544

I am still not religious

To follow up on what I wrote last week, Jesus desires relationship with us more than watching us be busy with religious activity.  Notice I am not saying that activity is bad; rather, it needs to be the happy by-product of knowing and loving Jesus, following and obeying as He leads.  How sad it is when our busy activity distracts and disconnects us from our Lord!

In his commentary on John’s Gospel, Gary M. Burge writes:

Faith, then, is more a matter of relationship than of creed.  (p. 577, discussing John 20)

Now, I don’t think the author is bashing creeds, confessions, or catechisms.  I think what he is saying is that faith is more than only storing the correct information in your head and being able to let it pour out of your mouth.  Not that knowledge and speaking up are useless; it’s just that those abilities do not necessarily equal having true faith.

I think the Reformed tradition has accurately (though perhaps excessively) been accused of focusing too much on the head and too little on the heart.  Granted, there’s something appealing to sticking exclusively with intelligence: You can convince yourself that you have mastered it as you would a course at school; you can appraise and judge other people and traditions by how closely they believe the same things you do; you are less vulnerable than when emotions get involved.  Unfortunately, keeping faith as only a cerebral thing can result in us keeping Jesus at arm’s length.  I guess there’s something appealing about that, too:  We’ll feel we can avoid following Him when He leads where we don’t want to go.  But we’ll also miss out on deeply experiencing His power and enjoying His close friendship.

Here again is Dr. Burge’s comment in the context of its paragraph:

Faith, then, is more a matter of relationship than of creed.  On occasion it means accepting that a message given is true and trustworthy, but for the most part, faith springs from confidence in the works Jesus has done and results in a desire to invest all hope in Him.  Faith is personal and transforming since it is dependent on a Person who has demonstrated Himself powerful and trustworthy.  It is the decision whereby a person gains eternal life and … become[s] a child of God, and so marks himself or herself as a member of Jesus’ community.

I am not religious

If you could have asked the apostle Paul whether he was religious, I think he might have answered, “No.”

In Acts 17:22, Paul describes the first century people of Athens as being “very religious.”  The study note in my TNIV Study Bible says that the word religious in 17:22 can also be translated as superstitious.  While Paul might be congratulating the Athenians for their spirituality, I think it’s more likely he is criticising them for their religiosity.  (We might call it churchianity today.)

It’s as though Paul is saying, You are religious? Well, you have received your reward in full.  Paul is not interested in people becoming “more religious” or swapping one religion for another, per se.  Instead he passionately invites people to trade in their religion(s) for a relationship.  Paul introduces people to the Man whom God has appointed, the One who He raised from the dead (see 17:31) – namely Jesus.

In some contexts, religious might not be a bad way to describe yourself.  However, when you’re asked about faith-related matters, consider saying that you are relational instead of religious, that you are in Christ.  There is nothing superstitious about Him; He is very real and very present.

That’s a good story!

This is good stuff, these daily devotions I mentioned the other day!  Today’s takes seriously our stories of faith and how God uses our stories to bless others.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.” – Romans 1:8

Can you imagine someone thanking God for you because your faith – your story – is being shared with people all over the world?  Maybe that is too much too imagine.  How about your story – the story of how your walk with God has helped you not only get through the tough things you’ve gone through but has enabled you to live your life with joy and fulfillment – can you imagine how that story could be of some inspirational value to the people you work with, or your neighbours, or perhaps people within your own family?  You will never know what God can do with your story until you start sharing it.  Remember God uses ordinary people like you to spread His love.  So how about it? Not sure what to share?  Just answer these questions…

What difference has walking with God made in your life, your marriage, your family, your purpose, your joy, your fun, your work, your friends?

What experiences have you had that have reassured you that God is real and that He has a purpose for you?

How has walking with God made thing different for you, your marriage, your family, your life?

For Discussion:  Take some time to answer the questions above, and share those answers with someone(s).  Can you think of some concrete ways in your life that you can share your faith with other people?

Prayer:  Lord our God, we want to share our faith in you with everyone, including our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbours.  Please give us the wisdom and the courage to do that, and to know when to do it. Amen.

– written for CRC Home Missions by Steve Elzinga

Waiting in a “right now” world

We live in a “right now” world.  Overnight delivery.  Microwave dinners.  Fast food.  High-speed internet.  We are forgetting how to wait, forgetting how to persevere.  A week-long series of devotionals in anticipation of Reformation Day begins with speaking about the courage (yes, courage!) it takes to wait…

As we near the end of the first decade of the 21st century, we have witnessed the advent of new and innovative technologies. From iPhones and iPods, to YouTube, MySpace and Twitter, the method of communicating and transferring information has dramatically changed.  It is no secret that it is much easier now than 20 years ago to move knowledge, insight and information around the globe. But at what cost?  The recent economic crisis has shown us that now more than ever we reside in a microwaveable society, where human beings need and want everything right now.  We have to have a house, right now.  We have to have a new career, right now.  We have to have the latest clothes, computer or car, right now.

The Reformation reminds those of us in the body of Christ of the need to develop the courage to wait; and not just wait for new things, but wait for God to renew our minds, body and soul.  The early reformers of the church had a mission: to bring the church back to a Bible-centred approach in regard to its doctrine and practices. Reform was (and is) not easy; but through many trials and tribulations, the reformers did not give up or give in.  They had the courage to wait for renewal to come; to the church, in particular, and the body of Christ as a whole.  As Isaiah 40:31 so eloquently states, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

For Discussion:  Talk about something you thought was important, that you had to wait for.  Was it a new toy?  Summer vacation?  Your favourite TV show season premiere?  Now think about how we wait for something much more important: God’s renewal in our lives.

Prayer:  God, we ask you to give us the courage to wait for You to renew us, in mind, body and soul. Amen.

— written for CRC Home Missions by Ed Rockett

Learning to love

The Sacred Marriage seminar with Gary Thomas last weekend was a tremendous blessing.  Marriages were strengthened.  I’m certain some were even saved.

A realization I personally came to is how most people (myself included) get married for selfish reasons.  Before meeting and marrying Monica, I recall thinking things like, When am I going to find a wife so I won’t be lonely?  When will I find the special someone with whom I can share my joys and struggles?  I wanted to get married to be loved.  The word selfish probably never came from my lips, but, consciously and/or subconsciously, that’s how my mind worked.  I badly wanted the joy of being married; ironically, selfishness never leads to joy.

Most people get married in the hopes that they will be loved.

What if most people married in order to learn to love?

Catch the difference?  Whether it’s conveyed explicitly or implicitly, when individuals marry to be loved, they do so thinking, What’s in it for me?  As soon as one’s partner’s love wanes in the ebb and flow of life together, one may begin thinking that it’s time to abandon his/her marriage.

On the other hand, when we marry in order to learn to love, the focus shifts away from oneself and towards one’s spouse.  Now the other’s character and needs and wants become the highest priority.  The marriage is stronger because it is not as easily threatened by seasons of decreased romance and passion.  The value of our marriage and of our spouse is no longer calculated based on our spouse’s performance, by the grade we’ve assessed his/her current level of love expressed towards us.  Instead, with perseverance, we’ll keep asking ourselves, What am I doing to love my partner deeper and better?

Asking questions like that keeps me from acting like I’m still single despite being married.  Questions like that will train my brain to think more of we and less of me.  And apparently it takes 10-15 years to really begin figuring this out.  How many people forfeit the joy that could be theirs by bailing out before the me truly turns into a united we?

The worst thing you could ever say

Christians are called to love each other.  That’s about as basic as saying “The sky is blue” or “The grass is green.”  Yet Christian couples sometimes say the reason they are separating or divorcing is because they no longer love each other.  This is a terrible indictment not only on their relationship, but also on their faith, as Gary Thomas makes clear in Sacred Marriage…

One of the cruelest and most condemning remarks I’ve ever heard is the one that men often use when they leave their wives for another woman: “The truth is, I’ve never loved you.”  This is meant to be an attack on the wife – saying in effect, “The truth is, I’ve never found you loveable.”  But put in a Christian context, it’s a confession of the man’s utter failure to be a Christian.  If he hasn’t loved his wife, it’s not his wife’s fault, but his.  Jesus calls us to love even the unlovable – even our enemies! – so a man who says “I’ve never loved you” is a man who is saying essentially this: “I’ve never acted like a Christian.” (p. 40-41)

Related:
:: More quotes from Sacred Marriage are here.
:: Sacred Marriage Seminar beginning tomorrow at Rough Acres Bible Camp.
 

Nurturing a sacred marriage

The Sacred Marriage Seminar is happening this weekend at Rough Acres Bible Camp.  I’m looking forward to hearing Gary Thomas speak and elaborate on what small groups in northern BC churches have been discussing over the course of this past year – namely the principles within his book Sacred Marriage.

The subtitle reveals much about its contents: “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”  It’s quite different than any other book I’ve read about marriage.  I would not call it a “how to” book.  It’s a book that seeks to nurture a person’s walk with Jesus – a person who happens to be married.  It delves into numerous intersections between faith and marriage.

God invites us to find fulfilment in Him.  How many people get married expecting their spouse to consistently fulfill them, to completely satisfy them, to continually make them happy?  Before Monica and I met, I remember thinking, “I’ll be happy when I find the right person.”  While words can never express how wonderful a blessing Monica is, things can easily go awry when I begin to expect that she will be my only source of fulfilment.  What a horrible burden to put on someone, expecting that s/he will singlehandedly make your life meaningful and give you joy!  Some would call that being your saviour.  You’re only setting your marriage up for failure.

But what if Jesus is your Saviour?  What if you find your ultimate identity and fulfilment in Him?  Then you free your spouse to be your partner, to be a fellow broken yet image-bearing child of God.  Together you and your spouse can explore how God is building character in you both.  And together you can discover God’s purposes for you as individuals, as a couple, as a family.  This does not necessarily make marriage easier; perhaps sometimes it makes marriage harder!  But it makes it richer.

In Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas rightly sees the theme of reconciliation running through the apostle Paul’s writings in the New Testament.  Reflecting on this, Thomas says:

The very nature of Christ’s work was a reconciling work, bringing us together again with God.  Our response is to become reconcilers ourselves…  Everything I do in my life is to be supportive of this Gospel ministry of reconciliation, and that commitment begins by displaying reconciliation in my personal relationships, especially in my marriage.  If my marriage contradicts my message, I have sabotaged the goal of my life: to be pleasing to Christ and to faithfully fulfill the ministry of reconciliation, proclaiming the Good News that we can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ…

If I’m married only for happiness, and my happiness wanes for whatever reason, one little spark will burn the entire forest of my relationship.  But if my aim is to proclaim and model God’s ministry of reconciliation, my endurance will be fireproof.  (p. 34, 36)

As someone said in the Sacred Marriage small group in which Monica and I participated this past year, doing what makes God happy makes us happy – including, perhaps especially, when it comes to our marriage relationships.

Read more:
I’ve quoted Sacred Marriage in previous blog entries…
:: “Practical Holiness” (25 May 2009)
:: “Savoury Relationships” (10 July 2009)

One more thing:
If you’re thinking about coming to the Sacred Marriage seminar this weekend and haven’t told the organizers, please fill out the registration form and contact them ASAP!