Backwards

 "And those who appeared to be influential (but God shows no partiality) added nothing to me" (Galatians 2:6).

So - why do we gather as congregations of God's people?

For many, the answer that appears to come to mind first is to worship God.

That's interesting, because according to some research of churches in America, the 'highlight' of the service is usually associated with this for many, and what follows from there (the key worship usually occurs at the start of a service) is deemed as secondary, in respect to impact and significance, to what happens in the 'praise' or worship time. It's interesting to note that in some 'high' church traditions, peoples emotional responses are often wrapped around a liturgy that is 'above and beyond' them (such as latin masses or the employment of "high" liturgy in a mystical fashion). What then follows for many is a lesson on how to do better, either in yourself, or in respect to what you do to the world in general - be the 'Good Samaritan' type.

I wonder what would happen if next Sunday, you walked into church and found something like this facing you:

Most of us don't recognise our weekly church attendance as a deeply "catastrophizing"  (think Lewis and Tolkien here) time, but that is almost certainly because the way such activity is usually 'done' today. The aim is to usually bring us 'into' a realm of sweetness in respect to God and our fellow company, but that raises a question - what is actually going on, and why is it happening?

It's so easy to be, at first, carried up by the swell of good music and lyrics, and then to be drowned afterwards by the overwhelming 'must' ness of duty and another week of 'plodding' in that service.

So is that what church is actually about?

The image here should shout at us that it's actually about something more than any of that cycle. Liturgy, Preaching, Sacraments all have a role - but this is sorely missed much of the time because the goal of gathering isn't what it should be.

Recall the story of Peter in Acts 11. In the middle of a session of prayer on a roof in the city of Joppa, God breaks in and entirely upsets his theology - 'that which I say is clean is clean'.

What's important to note here is Peter had a tendency to 'go' for the kind of approach to spirituality that would fit quite well into most regular church services, but God is saying to him and us that this just isn't radical enough.

Christians gathering together is suppose to be about one principal matter.

The Gospel is spoken, confession and absolution take place, the supper is shared, and baptisms unite us to Christ -

they convey the goodness of God's astonishing grace.

We don't mind a little of that, of course, but we don't particularly want it to overwhelm us and everything else, but that's exactly what should take place.

If church-going becomes about anything else, then we are Peter, refusing to accept what God is laying down from heaven itself for us. We're making excuses for not attending the feast.

So with that in mind, what is going in your church life? Is it about the very vital splendour that is the beating heart of the New Testament (and much of the rest of scripture besides) - the good news of our redemption - or is it all about a cycle whereby God, in effect, always ends up being downgraded because of what's continually given priority (what we have made important)?

Christianity only imparts what's good when it gives what God gives to the world - His one and only Son. When the wondrous story is all, then the sweetness of heaven will be evident in all we're doing.

Something to think about next Sunday!