Many thanks to JJ for again filling the pulpit for us – and this time without falling off the stage! Seriously, we are grateful for your reminder about praise and worship. JJ mentioned more than once that famous quotation from Jesus Himself about worshiping in “spirit and truth” [see John 4:23-24].
I appreciate JJ for reminding us that true worship is not limited to the time spent inside a church building, because that option is no longer as easily available as it once was. How many of us, in the time before the Pandemic, took for granted the times of worship? I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I was right there with you, even though I’m the preacher! Perfect attendance isn’t a salvation issue, and I admit I have missed my share of church gatherings for reasons that wouldn’t withstand cross-examination.
I know we are still just putting our toes back in the water of starting to meet again for worship, and I know that things are awkward, and maybe restrictions are going to be reinstated, and there are real and honest concerns about being in crowds. What I am wondering about is whether the Pandemic is making people more likely, or less likely, to want to gather with a Faith Family when all of this is over? There are differing opinions.
Lots of people enjoy “Pajama Church”. It’s convenient, for sure. But I personally find it extremely difficult to engage my “spirit” and “truly” worship while watching online. Perhaps others of you are not struggling with this at all. It’s easy for me to feel like I’m just watching TV, and as such, I’m just a spectator, or worse, a critic. And, in that sense, the worship service becomes about me, and whether or not I have been uplifted, about whether or not I have enjoyed the show. I hope I’m the only one who is so shallow.
But this problem doesn’t necessarily resolve itself by gathering in person for worship. You’ve still got to engage your spirit to truly worship, and that doesn’t automatically happen when you walk through the doors of the church.
It’s starting to sound like worship is work. And maybe there’s some truth to that description. Whether you’re at home or in the building, you cannot truly worship without realizing to whom your worship is directed.
This brings us to the humility of which JJ spoke. When we see God for who He is, humility should never be a problem. He is awesome, and we are not – not compared to The Creator of all things. Yes, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” [Psalm 139:14], but we are “made”. We did not create ourselves. We are not a cosmic accident of billions of years of evolution. Everything we are is because of Him. Once we understand that; once we understand our true position in this Universe as David did when he looked up and saw the mighty heavenly bodies and wrote, “When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor” [Psalm 8:3-5] – then worship will not be work. It will flow naturally. It will flow truthfully. It will flow from our spirits.
I hope we are all looking forward to gathering together again as a Faith Family when all of this is over. Until then, I hope we are all worshiping in spirit and truth every day.
Ambrose K. Ramsey III
Shepherd
