(much pondering going on in my head...around and around and around she goes...where she'll end up....nobody knows.....)
Hebrews 10:24-25 says this:
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
To "consider one another" literally means: to observe, to contemplate, to have an intelligent insight into."
All those things require us to have a relationship with one another out side the walls of the church building in order to accomplish those things.
Note that "love and good works" need to be stirred up, they don't just occur. It speaks of a convulsion and forcefully of the tremendous impact believers can have on each other, which is why the author compels them to gather together, right?
I get all that, I really do...I am UBER relational and I have no problem with this scripture so far as it applies to our fellowship with believers....beyond Sunday morning.
But, and here's the BUT....is this a description of why we gather together for worship? or is it more of a recipe for good fellowship minus the building???
That's where I keep landing.
For me and my family, corporate worship is for seeking God and God alone in worship and praise and adoration, for when you try to add in "stirring up love and good works" it sort of muddies things up when the focus is put back on temporal things(man) instead of eternal things(God).
We so desire that pure worship, pure devotion to God...I hear of worship services in India, for example, that go on for hours into the afternoon where afterwards they eat together and share their experiences with fellow their believers.
Worship/praise and seeking God's face are TOTALLY separate from the time of fellowship with other believers.
Do you see that?
I do.
I believe that the author of Hebrews was not describing what our Sunday morning worship should look like but, rather, it is a beautiful description of true fellowship which occurs usually Monday-Saturday and it speaks to the purpose of fellowship as well.
I think we are so used to trying to "have it all" on Sunday morning that we have crammed it all together and have ruined the whole thing, for us, at least, which is why we have chosen to worship elsewhere,(gasp) but yet we still seek the fellowship with believers and friends where we have served along side of them and served God for many years.
The absolute best part of this whole situation is that it was through God's leading that brought us to where we are at. It has been a process of revealing Himself to us a little here and a little there until we came to see the whole picture.
First came discontent, but He used that to move us in a different direction. Then He revealed to me His design for true worship and then, he began to show me how to LOVE-really LOVE people which has led to understanding and purposeful/meaningful fellowship. Along the way He has showed Himself in mighty ways and He has asked that I OBEY HIM even if I don't understand His ways, I believe, in preparation for showing us His will and showing us how to please Him instead of man. Can we talk about the "huge" awareness of ETERNITY that He has placed in my heart???? I know I make people nuts, I am a broken record, I know, but it is obviously a gift from the Lord, a calling, because He has asked that I be a HERALD, for the Morning Star has risen in my heart and I cry out in the darkness in preparation for the LIGHT. Now, this year, He has asked that we "SEEK AFTER HIM"... we have.....which has brought us here.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we are EXACTLY where God would have us to be.
I stand in awe.....
"YOU'RE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL......AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD LET GO...CUZ YOU'RE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL......"
3 comments:
Your posts are showing up on my blogroll again. *conspiracy*
I have to say that in my experience (& this may be VERY generalized) American "worship" services are incredibly planned, detailed, in-and-out-in-one-hour style. The are scripted with little room for the Holy Spirit to move at His pace. You are right, there are places in the world where the service go on until the Spirit is done - hours. In fact we have services here in Geneva that last 2 hours on occasion with people praying when they feel led or standing up and singing a hymn just because it was stirred within their hearts. It has taken getting to used to, but I really enjoy it now. And we're not even as "free" as some African and South American cultures.
I don't have an answer for you about church. I wish I did. I know we are the church and we must not get out of the habit of gathering together, but...again I have nothing, really.
loves to you!
I meant they are NOT showing up on my blogroll... silly finger to brain delay!
i so agree with you about the in-and-out "Worship in an Hour!" style of most of today's churches. this has been bugging us for years. our megachurch that we went to was having 5 SERVICES every weekend by the time we quit. i didn't like it. there was absolutely no room for the Spirit to move. order of service: song, song, welcome, song, song, prayer [everybody sits]; funny/meaningful video, pastor's short and sweet sermon, song, announcements, scoot 'em out so the next batch can scoot in and we can start all over. i began to feel distinctly "processed."
we NEED churches that will slow down and allow the Spirit to move. who cares if we get to Chili's before the crowd? Sunday night services like they had in the church i grew up in were more conducive to longer times of worship with nobody looking at their watches (except the mothers of small children). it's a hard thing to accomplish in our time-oriented society. i wish i had an answer for you as well.
something to pray about i guess ...
lori, i just love your style and your heart. keep doing what you're doing. we're listening - and you're touching our hearts and making us think deeper about things!
hugs to you :o)
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