September 20, 2011
Shush
Long after the sermon
had started a couple of teens obliviously carried on with their whispered
conversation. They were so engaged that the caustic glance of a worshipper two
rows in front of them was totally wasted. It wasn’t until I shushed them for
the third time that they modified their conversation by writing notes back and
forth. It’s easy for me to get irritated with people who steal my worship time
and I have to remind myself that the Spirit probably feels the same way. No
doubt He too tries to shush us when we are being disruptive and not paying attention
to what He is trying to tell us. “Be
still, and know that I am God…” (Ps 46:10a NIV)
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Gail;
-----A church in Grand Junction has three morning services. One is so totally traditional that all overhead projectors are turned off and the singing is done from hymn books. Another is completely contemporary - big band, big speakers, big noise, no hymns type contemporary. The third is predominantly traditional using the overhead projectors and occasionally a contemporary tune.
-----Maybe one contemporary service has not been enough for some people there. Recently the book “Who Stole My Church?” by Gordon McDonald showed up on display tables in the foyer with promotional flyers and all. A few years ago in the church I attend, that same book was made the study material of a Sunday School class. I watched the progression of study through the book coincide with the progression of certain messages and activities of the elders and preacher. I was amused at how the two progressions formed an obvious attempt to steer the worship services towards more contemporary styles. McDonald’s book, Warren‘s books, and various other books seem always to be the breakers rolling onto the beach before an inbound storm. Like these teens, there are disruptive people who just can’t stay quiet and pay attention to what the Spirit is trying to say in the people gathered. Their peace and joy and righteousness seems to be your worship expressed in their ways.
-----When I see this breaking against the beach and the following storms, I often think about the part of Ps. 46:10 you‘ve quoted, “Be still, and know that I am God.” There are times for us to be still and times for moving with great action. We do have a part in bringing God’s plan into history. God, too, has His part. But ours is never to interfere with brothers and sisters doing theirs, or to try and dissuade them from what they do, unless they actually are doing sin. Our brothers’ and sisters’ worship is the accumulation of their individual personalities joining in a community expression deliberately raised to Him from them.
-----This is where it gets beautiful. Inside each heart is the Holy Spirit having His effect. The Spirit does not effect me according to what He knows about some geek whom I‘ll never meet in Kalamazoo. Neither does He effect me according to only me. His effect upon me considers both me and those whom I will effect. So He effects a congregation as He knows them all together and individually. The kindness, forbearance, sympathy, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, and such we do are our active part being done. His part steers such behaviors into the peace, joy, and righteousness of everyone, thus causing all hearts to break out in meaningful expression to Him. We simply don’t need hyper-active peddlers of new meanings to know He is God.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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