September 09, 2014
Support
I visited a large congregation that seemed to be
a combination of High-Church and Low-church, seasoned with a touch of modern secularism.
On the back of their 10 full-page newsletter/bulletin were blocks of
advertisements from local businesses — everything from a realtor, to a plumber,
to a liquor store. Among the advertisements was a larger banner ad that said,
“Support our Advertisers.” I was
reminded of the Lord arriving in Jerusalem, “Jesus entered the temple area and
drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of
the money changers and the benches of those selling doves” (Matt 21:12 NIV). I’m
wondering what the Lord thinks as He walks through today's house of prayer and
worship.
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Actually, this church may as well exhibit its connection with secularism. The general nature of the worship service does. We go into the movie theater to sit and take in what someone else has devised and developed. We go to church to sit and take in what someone else has devised and developed. We sing the songs a theater-like staff pick. We say the prayers a theater staff arranged. We hear the message the theater staff wrote. We do it all in a sequence of theatrical choreography. And we call it worship. Why not advertise a little, too, like the theaters do? The element of worship I am sure has not spoiled its theatre.
-----I understand there has to be some amount of choreography to joint worship. We can’t get together and go helter-skelter. On the other hand, it does believers little good to go down a litany like a line of Model-T’s on a railroad track. Worse yet, on this track we hear more about free-will or predestination, tithing and supporting the Lord’s work, and obeying leaders than we do about the precious bonds of life carried in the strings of kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control, and such. Even when we do hear these precious gems we are given little time to hang with each other and practice them. We all scurry off where what was heard is forgot half-way home, like leaving a theater after the movie. Except we tend to remember the movie.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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