The One That is Different
During a typical year there are four months which have five Sundays. On those four (and sometimes five) Sundays the church where I worship and serve does something we call “church – eat – church.” Instead of dismissing after the morning worship service and returning a few hours later for our evening worship, we are together for about four-and-a-half straight hours.
We begin our time together with a period of Bible study. We may be divided by age or other factors, but we are all studying the same Divine Book. There are two periods of time during which we all assemble to offer worship to the One in whose name we are assembled.
The period of time between those two worship assemblies is the one that is different from the other three periods of time. We enjoy a potluck meal together. For that one hour or so, we feast on food prepared by our members instead of sustaining ourselves spiritually with the Word of Life.
I began thinking recently about how different that time is from all of the others. At least it should be. In many respects that potluck meal is (or can be) all about me. I can choose whether or not to even attend. If I tend toward being introverted, I can find a spot at the end of one of the tables and eat all by myself. If, on the other hand, I enjoy being around people, a potluck is a wonderful environment for that.
I can pick and choose what I want to eat and what I do not want to eat. Even though my mother’s admonition about eating vegetables still floats around in my head, I somehow seem to be drawn to “the gospel bird” (fried chicken), deviled eggs, and other not-so-healthy choices. Some of those choices would, of course, include the dessert table which I have been known to frequent way too often.
I can (like some) make the choice to help with food preparation, setting up our annex, helping to serve drinks, and/or cleaning up after the meal is concluded. I can also (like some) just show up, “do my own thing,” and leave any involvement, service, etc. to others.
Sadly, it seems to me that the “potluck” mentality can “bleed over” into those other periods of time on the Lord’s day. What are called Bible classes can instead be a discussion of current events, personal opinions, political positions, social issues, etc. without ever opening the Bible. I can choose a class, teacher, and/or subject that I prefer.
Along with that, I can join the seemingly growing number of people who make choices about where they will “worship” based on style more than substance. The preacher, the music, and the entire experience needs to appeal to my taste. If that is not the case, I may find another church that is more to my liking.
Something seems to have been forgotten in all of that. The period of time set aside for Bible study should at the very least include opening the Bible in order to learn more about God and His will for our lives. I am not at all opposed to studying various topics, but the standard cannot be what I think about a topic, but what God has revealed in His Word about it.
Similarly, those periods of time set aside for worship are (or should be) set aside for worshiping Him, not satisfying my taste. He is the audience – not me.
It is often said that our lives are all about the choices we make. Maybe it would be good to remind ourselves that God has already made the choice about how He desires to be worshiped. Our only real choice is whether or not we will honor Him with our worship – and our lives.
I’m often not happy with the choices I’ve made during a potluck when I step on the scales the next day. I try to make myself feel better, though, by telling myself that I can start doing better and undo some of the damage.
I won’t have that option when I stand before the One who has told all of us what He expected of us while we had the opportunity to make choices. We will all be judged by whether or not we “stuck to the menu” He provided for our worship and our lives.
As you (hopefully) consider this, you may want to read Matt. 22:1-14 and think of the implications of that passage.
It might also be helpful to remember that it was Jesus who said:
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
(John 4:24)
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn