Zechariah 4:6 So
he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by
might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
Sometimes
I get discouraged by what’s happening with the Church in our society. We seem
to have this casual approach to God that is now turning into a disdain for God’s
Word. People come and go to their churches as they please to the extent that
Christian worship has now become a leisure pursuit instead of a regular spiritual
commitment. There’s no longer a thirsting for the scriptures or a hunger for
what God is saying to us. We can pick and choose what we like from the Bible
and discard what we disapprove. Instead of being kept sacred and regarded as
holy, we treat God’s Word as if it has a sell by date and throw it away because
it is irrelevant to our personal needs.
And
then just when I’m feeling sorry for myself and the Church, I receive an email
from a church member whose family is on a teaching mission trip to Christians
in Nepal. Here’s what one of them has written:
Monday
(1st day of the conference) was busy and wonderful. I don’t think anyone
counted actual numbers in attendance, but the room was pretty full. Many who
were coming were delayed—one broken-down bus accounted for 15 late-comers. They
arrived last night or early this morning. The church is simple and rustic—that
is code for primitive and with holes in the floor for toilets. Participants sit
on a carpeted floor all day. The worship team is young and loud and
enthusiastic. We can tell when they sing an “old timey song” because the older
Christians join in and begin to raise their hands. The young women and men each
have their own dances they choreograph and perform during breaks. They would be
a hit in the US…lots of the same movements.
We
have 3 morning sessions and 3 afternoon sessions. Tom and John take turns in
the 1st two sessions each half of the day…then the men and women break into
separate groups, and I take the women, and John or Tom take the men. People
wander in and out all during the sessions. Some have responsibilities with the
children or cooking or cleaning up, so they come when they can. The pastors and
leaders attending the conference are very quiet while a speaker is talking, and
they take notes faithfully on what is being said.
People
hungering for the Word of God! We may think that our sophisticated laid-back
relationship with God is what He expects of a 21st century church,
but we are sadly deluding ourselves. God expects of us what He obviously
receives from the Christians in Nepal: total commitment.
I
look forward to a day when the Western Church will rediscover Christ and humbly
serve Him completely. I yearn for a time when all churches across our land will
gather together, not because they are powerful or mighty, relevant and
fashionable, but because they are filled with Spirit-led people and not just
spiritual ones.
Question for personal reflection
How committed am
I to Christ? Am I truly Spirit-led or just spiritual?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to rediscover a
hunger for Your holy teachings and a thirst for Christian theology. Prevent us
from being too focused on ourselves and keep us totally committed to
worshiping, serving, and following You throughout our lives. In Your Holy Name,
we pray. Amen.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest Advent drawings called “Mackintosh Advent.” It’s
an art nouveau rendering of Advent candles in a church window. If you would
like to view a larger version, click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8118931383_48d8bc70a9_b.jpg
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