Today I will continue yesterday's refrain.
It pleases me when anyone says, "I
just love my church. There's so much happening. I get so much from pastor's
messages. Lives are really being changed. I love the worship music, it's so
uplifting, enthusiastic, and all genders and generations are active and helping
out. We have weeknight small groups and ours is closely knit and loving, like a
family. "
That speaks of an environment that is
conducive to adoration, teaching and learning and service. Who could want
anything more than that? How can you improve on that? And yet, some people have
sensibilities or needs that are not met there.
What can a church do for people whose spiritual craving is for serenity? What does one do with serenity? You see, that is what needs to be understood if the church today is interested in assisting people to come closer than they are to God as Sovereign, holy, almighty, creator, God. The soul of the disciple, gripped by the awesome person of God worships in varied ways. I am sure that exuberant singing and raised hands and dancing are among these ways. So are beating hearts, awestruck wonder, fears and tears, silent joy, intelligent recitation, flat out, face down lying on the ground prayer. What can the church do for people whose souls require the latter kind of attention? Perhaps nothing. Maybe something. I don't have the answer.
Christine and I have promised ourselves
that we will try out Bakerview Church's liturgical worship service.
Recently good friends invited a few of us
for a Sunday evening hymn sing. Sure it's an old fashioned concept and I am
fashioned fairly old at the moment. I understand that younger generations, some
of whom have never heard the hymns we sang that night would find them plodding
and uncool. We sang theology with full voices and harmonies, tracing the human
condition, God's character, His solution and our eventual home. Almost every
hymn contained that sequence.
Anyone can go to the beach or to a park or
sit in a comfy chair at home and be alone with God, His Word, and with intent to
commune with God and be profoundly blessed. I believe that better yet, is to
find another person who genuinely shares this need for intimacy with God and to
spend time together, reading, praying,
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