If you are in a place of service in a Church, than you understand how difficult it is to take a break occasionally and hopefully how important it is to do so. On the Sunday of our 12th Wedding Anniversary (back in October) we took a little weekend trip to North Dallas for some much needed time away. Time away from kids, from work, from the grind of life, and yes even (especially) church.
It was reasonably simple thanks to alot of friends who understood the need to step up and help cover responsibilities. I am indebted to friends like James Woods and Jim Gibson who took leadership of studies that were over that weekend. I am even more indebted to awesome family members who are always willing to spend time with our kids so Telly and I can steal away. I am encouraged by ministry leaders like our music minister Steven Sullivan who understands the need for time out.
So I think it took Telly a second to comprehend the thought that I wanted to go to church on that Sunday morning while we were in Dallas ~ it being our Sunday 'off'. I tried to sell it as a break from our 'regular' service and an opportunity to check out 'something different'. We woke up late Sunday morning and were moving really slow, but after a nice Waffle House breakfast found ourselves just wandering around right at 11A.
I had just about talked Telly into going to church when we passed Shiloh Missionary Baptist in Plano. Now as we made the U-turn at the next street, Telly got really nervous about the idea of being underdressed (jeans and decorative cross t-shirt), not knowing anyone, being late, and not fitting in generally. I made the comment we should just act like we were completely lost (in the spiritual sense) and enjoy the experience 'as if'.
Now I admit, I knew we'd never make the front door for I had a pretty good suspicion just how different this particular church was likely to be, but it became clear to Telly just how different when she saw several VERY well-dressed African American families entering the church. We never made the parking lot - we would have been out of place for more reasons THAN JUST race (she was really most concerned about being in blue jeans in such an environment) and it was way too much for my sweet OCD ridden wife to withstand. I remember making the comment, I could careless about any boundaries as such but knew it would likely be a disturbance to their worship time so I let it go. (http://www.smbcplano.org/)
We finally ended up wandering through the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson for a little while and then heading toward East Texas. Along the way back we listened to some excellent praise and worship music and then a podcast sermon. Now let me say that Telly is going to eventually learn her lesson about randomly picking sermons off my ipod to listen to with me. Last time it was a bit on Marriage, which spoke at a time we both needed some tough teaching on how Husbands and Wives should treat that relationship (good bit from Proverbs).
That Sunday our lengthy conversation about what worship really is or ought to be was serendipitously followed by the random selection of Mark Driscoll's, Religion Saves (+9 other misconceptions), this particular hour (<--- yeah hour) on the regulative principle of worship (<yawn>). (http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/religionsaves)
What is the regulative principle you say? Man, I'm glad you asked... in a very brief nutshell, there is the *normative principle of worship that would allow worship (in a group setting) in any form that is not expressly forbidden by or in contradiction to biblical precept AND is otherwise glorifying to the Lord and includes those things it should (preaching, singing, giving, and prayer) WHILE the *regulative principle allows ONLY those forms and practices expressly set forth specifically in the bible with no addition, novelty, or innovation (at least to our tradition/interpretation as such). An excellent listen the next time you have an hour...
NOW HERE'S THE POINT... that hour plus of conversation, worship and praise music and hour plus of sermon was the best worship time we'd had together as a couple, ever. We skipped Church and went for worship on a drive in the Impala. This is not an every week standard, nor would I want it to become so.
If I've learned anything in my reading and studying of worship - it is this... there IS NOT and SHOULD NOT be any standard method of worship as we (as human beings) might create it and follow it. It is likely the repetitious and mundane nature of a man-made Church Service that CAN devastate worship, most especially for the well-versed / comfortable religious practitioner. This is where forsaking the Lord for the sake of our own traditions takes hold. We are ultimately Burger King Worshippers, we want it our way... preferably quickly and at a cheap price.
Over the past summer, we took a three month sabbatical from all church service and leadership for several reasons: 1) it was just work for work's sake, 2) God had been telling us to lay down certain things we just could not for fear of it failing, 3) we knew we had several weekends we'd be out over the summer, 4) we knew we needed to get back to the heart of worship and service, 5) the stuff / doing incorrectly became more important than the people and relationships. It was hard to take that time off, there were alot of folks who just didn't get it (probably still don't.) But in that time off, we found exactly what we were looking for, a fresh encounter with the living and Holy Creator of the universe and a renewed understanding of the grace and mercy given to all believers in Christ. This leads to worship and service which would otherwise be empty and hollow without such vision of the Lord's working in and through us.
So 8 weeks into our recent return to service in the church, we were graciously blessed with a reminder during a break from church. We serve a powerful and mighty Lord who deserves our worship because of His glory and majesty alone, but even more so because of His concern, provision and love for us. Don't miss the importance of joining with other believers in study and accountability, BUT don't think that's all there is, or solely required, or even enough. So this Sunday, wherever you find yourself, worship the Lord (for that matter, delete the 'So this Sunday' bit at the front of this sentence and just WORSHIP THE LORD).
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