April 30, 2015
Reflections
One church I attended is located
in a rented space that has full length mirrors covering one wall; think mirrors
in a fitness center, or a dance studio. Attendees were seated facing the
mirrors so when charismatic expressions of worship began everyone in the room could
actually see the frontal view of all worshippers reflected in the mirrors —
hands raised, feet dancing, bodies swaying, and faces filled with joy and
reverence. I’ve not yet collected all my thoughts on the experience; however, I
have to laugh when I imagine a traditional or a liturgical church service with
worshippers sitting in front a wall of full length mirrors. “Now the Lord is
the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are
being transformed into his likeness with ever–increasing glory, which comes from
the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:17-18 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Think of a large, four legged animal, furry, hoofed, grass-eating beast occupying a niche in most economies as a supply of food, clothing, shoes, purses, belts, and other accessories. Or I could just say, “Think of cows.” Words make it convenient to say things with less breath. But the problem with words is that they do not carry the mental concepts they represent. They are merely squiggly lines on paper when written, or particularly patterned vibrations in the air when spoken. Your mind carries the mental concepts for both emitting and receiving words. And as all things do in this world, the mind also seeks a state of least energy. Unless a person makes a concerted effort to maintain the details and interconnections of meanings of a particular word, its immediate representations in the mind fade into less useful generalizations.
-----”Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us.” (Philip 3:17) “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord…so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” (I Thes 1:6-7) “It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate.” (II Thes 3:9) “…but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (I Tim 1:16) “…but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (I Tim 4:12) “As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:10) “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (I Pet 2:21) “Tend the flock of God that is your charge… being examples to the flock.” (I Pet 5:2a,3b) Examples are like bright lights to reflect, character traits observed in others’ actions we put to life in our own actions not because they have developed in us from understanding a lifetime of experiences, but because we simply reflect the behaviors observed and experience their effects. Following examples is a reflection, and the Lord made us a very reflective people. Reflection generates everything from language through culture to religion, games, and war.
-----I suppose one would have to ask the person responsible for the mirrors facing the congregation about their meaning. Anything else thought about them can only be a guess. But whatever benefits their reflective attributes might have upon worship is just a word. The real filler of worship and glory to God is the love and good works we walk in because God created them beforehand for that. To make real effect more than just imagery, the mirrors need to be on the streets where we do our walking, where we fill up our worship with real meaning, or just let it drift like a cheaply spoken word.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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