In a day and age when the average adult attention span is twenty minutes, air condition is a requirement, and media, TV and internet give us instant access to entertainment, church can be boring and uncomfortable. I don't believe it is because God is asking too much of us, but I think it is the fact that we have become a soft generation. Our great grandparents can tell us of church meetings that lasted for hours without air conditioning, media presentations and the only instrument was a piano... So why do we complain for one Sunday that the air conditioning is broken? Why do we tell the visiting preacher that we must be out by noon? Why do we tell the worship leader that the music must conform to our idea of worship? Today's passage will give us a glimpse of what I believe is uncomfortable worship.
"Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one–fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: “Stand up and bless the Lord your God Forever and ever! “Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You." Nehemiah 9:1-6 (NKJV)
To think that they would endure around 3 hours of scripture reading and another 3 hours in prayer, confession and worship... If you continue reading in the ninth chapter of Nehemiah, they begin reminding the people each thing that God had done for them. Worship was not something that they had to do it was a choice that they made. Time and time again they were caught in sin and God's grace was there. They realized that God had delivered them and they wanted to make a covenant with God. This passage is leading up to the signing of this document or covenant. Today in our "soft generation" we cannot conceive a 6 hour worship service... But here is the question... Why do we think that worship should be comfortable? Jesus said, "if any man should follow me he must pick up his cross." The cross in the most horrifying and gruesome death ever recorded in history... far from comfortable. If God can allow His only Son to die, if Jesus can accept that death for us why can't we be uncomfortable in worship for an hour and a half.
My little nephew gets bored with a toy very easily. He will play with one for a few minutes then move on to another toy, but he will sit down for hours to draw one picture. He will discipline himself to complete the picture because he enjoys drawing. OK, lets bring it to an adult level. The ball game is still not over and they are in their second overtime... do you leave??? I sure wouldn't. Then when it comes to the pastor going over ten minutes, well that is the entire conversation over lunch. If it is something that we enjoy, man the time flies, but when it come to church we watch the clock. God has done so much for us and I hope that I will grow out of this "soft generation" and become a "Hard Core Christian" ready to read scriptures for three hours then begin to worship for three more hours regardless of the air conditioning. Let us be true worshipers this week and if the worship leader say lets sing it one more time... let us say praise God and if the preacher apologizes for going over... let us say preach on!!!
God give us a hunger for your word and a desire to worship in a manner worthy of your glory.
Great thoughts! I'm so glad that you have been posting! How appropriate that your devotion today is on worship. I always post about worship on Wednesday's! Keep up the good work. Maybe I'll feel up to posting again soon.
ReplyDeleteLove it... we have battled with this too for awhile!
ReplyDeleteI would much prefer church to be 3hours of reading scripture than a 'softe generation' type concert ;) but I dont mind hanging out with Jesus asfter all He has done for me... and as you said, it's a sacrifice!
I laughed when I read about keeping to time! I only read earlier in my reading in acts 20: 7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
when there was a messgae to share it got shared! not split up over a month - time is precious and Paul got it and so while He was there, the Word he was teaching them was vital to get out even if it used up their evening!!!!