Don’t Waste Your Time in Worship – Ramona Heikel

I love Pilgrim Books, the Christian used bookstore in Calgary. One thing I appreciate about it is that it carries books published many years ago, not just the latest trends hot off the press. I like to compare Christian viewpoints of today with those from the 1980’s, or 1950’s, the turn of the twentieth century, or even older. And the frosting on the cake is that the older books—which to me are often the most “meaty”—typically cost around two dollars.

In one visit to Pilgrim Books, a shocking title caught my eye: Don’t Waste Your Time in Worship. This book by James L. Christensen was published in 1978. I’d been more and more frustrated by the worship services I was attending, and always found myself trying to analyze what had changed over the years. But according to this 30-year-old book, not much had changed!

Here are a few of the many inspiring passages that I jotted down:

To worship God meaningfully is a supreme accomplishment. For a finite person to be in communication with the Infinite is not something done on the run. Nor is it a reality when approached flippantly or grudgingly…After 30 years as a Christian minister, I am convinced that many people who attend church do not really worship God at all. They waste their time.

The church today faces a crisis in its life, partially because worship has not been properly understood. Many people, whether they admit it or not, or are conscious of it or not, attend more as spectators of a performance rather than as participants in the worship of God. A choir does our singing; the minister does our praying, Scripture reading, and interpretation.

One may waste his time in church because much so-called worship is…focused upon man instead of God…One publisher recently observed: “For a preacher to be popular, all he has to do is use a lot of humor, tell stories well, and entertain his congregation.”

The reformation distaste for the Roman Catholic Mass, in which there was no preaching and much ceremony, caused a Protestant reaction to an opposite extreme, making the sermon central and eliminating main elements of worship. In some denominations, the church nave has become more of an auditorium than a sanctuary, transforming the altar into a lecture platform. Hence, the pulpit becomes the center of attention and the key to the church’s growth.

We have heard naïve ministers who have meant well say, “We come here to recharge the batteries of our spirit, so we may go forth to serve.” …but this is not the purpose of worship. The purpose of worship is not to build up the morale of the nation or to promote the church’s programs, as one might easily conclude from some preachments…However worthy these motives…God is worshiped for His own glory. Worship is man’s loving response to God’s personal revelation in Jesus Christ. Genuine worship takes place only when God is worshiped for His own sake.

Posted by Ramona

Happilywriting.com

[Photos by Adrian van Leen on Open Photo]

If God is Dead Then Who Did I Speak to this Morning?

by Glynis M. Belec

I needed a snappy synopsis for the brochure that would appeal. How could I sum up and relay exactly the right words? It would be a great dramatic time and a superb party for children and youth, not to mention an amazingly cool way to present stories from the Bible. I needed to find a way to draw the young folk in and get involved. So I played around with words and phrases and eventually I had it.



"Looking for some excitement? Maybe you need a place to just hang out and talk about stuff. If you are looking for some good, clean dramatic fun with a focus on the One who made it all possible, then come on out to our drama club 'getting to know you' party and bring a friend. Step inside the curtain and learn through drama, mime and recitation how to make scripture come alive in unique ways."


There, I had it - the perfect hook.

I was pleased with what I had prepared for the church bulletin. The kids would love it. Yes, I was going to do my best with these young people. My passion was to help stir young hearts for Jesus and I was ready. I was going to do my part to promote Christian drama as a way of making scripture come alive.

 

I read my blurb over and over. It sounded good and appealing to young people initially. Yet something gnawed. The grammar seemed appropriate. It was written at a level and language that would appeal to the younger age groups. What was it that wasn't ringing true? I read the words again. My stomach churned as if I was on a roller coaster. There it was. The last sentence - ...do my part to promote Christian drama as a way of making scripture come alive. What was I saying? My words implied (although not intentionally) that God's Word was dead. Scripture was not the living, breathing Word of God and I in all my wisdom and talent was going to do my best to resuscitate it.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I am grateful that God prodded me and made me realize that I do not need to perform any sort of life- saving procedure on scripture. That is His job. My job is to seek opportunities and ways to share the good news. I can do that...

I made the necessary changes to my newsletter submission and clicked send.

Get into the Habit - by Janis Cox

Am I a pray-er? Really?

I talk about it, read about it, and even write about it at Under the Cover of Prayer. But, the truth is I know I could do better.

In my morning time devotionals I try to start with a prayer list. I am on the online prayer team for The Word Guild and at the top of that weekly printed list I write the names of personal friends and family who need specific prayers that week. And then I do pray each morning.

Oswald Chambers on August 23rd says that, “Prayer is an effort of will.”

And I have an inkling of what he means. I need to take time – to put myself away from everything. Oswald calls what we need to shut away “mind wanderings”. And he says to “get into the habit of dealing with God about everything.”

There have been times I have worked hard at this. I will admit it is in times of stress, decision-making or illness. It is then that I pour out my heart to God.

Can I do this more often? Even when things are going well?

The other day I decided to try to listen to God on my drive to Orillia to visit my Mom. For over an hour I would ask a question, then, other than watching the road, the cars and the forests, I listened for an answer. An amazing thing happened. Ideas started to flow. I wished I had brought a tape recorder (I certainly couldn’t write down all that He was saying to me and drive).

Now I need to do this type of prayer at home – in the quiet – “shut thy door. A secret silence mean to shut the door deliberately on emotions and remember God.” Also I think that means to shut out our ideas, thoughts, and to-do’s.

I am going to try this – this week. Will you join me?

And maybe as Oswald says: “Every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.”

Comfort Overflowing by Marcia Lee Laycock

Two doses of chemo over and I'm feeling like it's letting go of me again. Such a blessing to be able to eat normally and not have indigestion that makes it feel like a small block of wood is forcing its way through your intestines. Slept through the night last night too, another blessing I don't think I'll ever take for granted again. I even went shopping with my daughter today, though I sat through it while she searched the racks. :)

Sitting in the mall it was interesting to watch all the "normal, healthy" people. Some avoided my turbaned head, some smiled a wee bit, some just stared then looked away. Then I noticed a woman walk by whose neck was a bit crooked. Another had a slight limp, another dragged an oxygen tank behind him. Not so "normal and healthy." And I thought, how many times did I breeze by them all in a mall like this, uncaring, oblivious to all the hardships and pain around me. In the glitz and glimmer of a shopping mall it's easy to think the world is all as it should be as we spin along on our quest for consumer items, avoiding the pain, the sadness, refusing to look it in the face, refusing to do anything to alleviate it.

But the reality is, the world underneath all that shine and polish is rather sad and broken. A friend posted a quote from CS. Lewis on Facebook recently - "Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him Happy." So very true.

Yet there is hope, there is purpose.

The author of the second book of Corinthians said it this way - "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows" (2Corinthians 1:3-5).

As we see the pain and suffering around us and attempt to minister to it, we enter into the ministry of Christ through His suffering. We enter into the humanity of our race, joining ourselves together with bonds that hold us all up as we stand at the cross. And in so doing we are made more human, molded more and more into the image of God, which is our true identity.

And some of the brokenness is healed, the sadness turned to joy, the reality of God's love made known. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
 
********

Please note - in honour of 9/11 I am offering my devotional ebook, A Traveler's Advisory for FREE at www.smashwords.com/books/view/54831 Just use the code GK32H for the freebie. I ask that if you are blessed by it you would consider leaving a review at Smashwords. Thanks and blessings to you all. Marcia