A Little Spirit, Please

I love the local church congregation that I belong to. I love the people there. I love the openness and friendliness that exists. I love that our leaders aren't afraid to talk about grace and the Holy Spirit, two subjects that seemed to be somewhat taboo in the much more conservative churches I grew up in.

That said...I'm a little bored with the church "service" right now. Maybe it's just a phase; I don't know. Maybe I've become so used to having outstanding preachers and praise team and elders that I'm taking them for granted.

But this morning I was thinking about how structured our church service typically is. We even have a name for it, the "Order of Worship." I don't mean to pick on my particular congregation--I know that probably 99% of other churches of all denominations out there tend to have a very structured service--but there are times when I wish we did less planning and more spontaneous worship.

Don't get me wrong and think that I think we should toss out all our preprinted bulletins and cancel the weekly praise team rehearsals and all that. There is definitely something to be said for having orderly worship; that was one of the problems that Paul addressed with the Corinthian church.

However, I think there is a difference between having an orderly worship and having an order to worship. Perhaps I'm splitting hairs here. Or maybe I'm too focused on what we're doing regarding worship rather than on Who we're worshiping. But I must confess that I'm a little tired of the same two songs, "opening" prayer, three more songs, Lord's Supper, song, sermon, invitation song, and closing prayer and maybe a song to round things out. Is it just me?

Just wanted to vent a moment. Thoughts?

Fools Rush In

I don't like to rush very often. That's why I get up so early in the morning when I could just take a half hour to get ready for work--I hate feeling rushed. Not to mention that I like to have time for the caffeine from that first cup of coffee in the morning to kick in before I attempt to do anything requiring great thought, like making sure my socks match.

When it comes to making decisions, sometimes I rush and sometimes I don't. It depends on the circumstance. Typically, I can make "big" decisions fairly easily. But deciding which dessert to order at a restaurant--now, for some reason, that takes a lot of contemplation.

The older I get the more I'm realizing that decision-making, for the most part, is not something to be rushed. I mean the big decisions in life, like whether to accept a job offer, or even the not-so-big decisions. Really, every decision can have an impact, some greater than others, on my life.

Lately I've felt spiritually lonely; that's the best way I can describe it. It's been a while since I've been in a group Bible study, and I've really missed that. I haven't been getting together with any friends to study and pray together. I can really sense that void. I've been praying the last few weeks about it. Normally, I would rush right out and try to find someone to study with or join an ongoing study group, but this time I'm sitting still.

Today a friend told me that her small group is about to start a new Bible study in August, and she invited me to be part of it. It definitely seems like an answer to my prayers. And yet, uncharacteristic of me, I told her that I needed to pray for confirmation before I committed to it.

And so I'm praying, and trusting that God will give me the answer sooner rather than later. Certainly, a Bible study is a GOOD thing to be part of--but it may not be the study He wants me to be part of at this time. Maybe God wants me to remain in this spiritual loneliness so that I totally depend on Him for my meat. We shall see.

Preparation

As Hurricane Ivan made its way towards Alabama last year, it sparked panic-stricken shopping trips among most residents to every grocery store, discount store and convenience store in search of batteries, water, and other necessities. After Ivan blasted through Montgomery and my house escaped unscathed despite living in a neighborhood laden with big, tall trees, I felt extremely grateful and told myself that I'd stock up on batteries and other supplies JUST IN CASE another hurricane came calling.

Well, less than a year later, Hurricane Dennis is baring down and could very well take the same destructive path as Ivan. And once again I find myself planning a shopping trip for batteries and other necessities in preparation. Why didn't I buy all this stuff after Ivan last year? Well, even though I'd just experienced the first hurricane that I could remember, I didn't expect to face the threat of another one so soon.

I find myself doing the same thing when it comes to temptation. I can face some big temptation and, if I yield to it, I end up feeling first ashamed, then grateful for God's forgiveness and mercy. Or if I escape temptation, I feel relieved and thankful for His guidance and grace in dealing with that temptation. I vow to myself that I won't put myself in the same position again, that I'll arm myself with more discipline and faith so that I'll be prepared next time that temptation rears its ugly head.

Too often, that vow doesn't last long. I don't take temptation too seriously. Before I know it, I'm facing it yet again, and am not any more prepared to handle it than I was before.

I'm not sure why that is; the Bible is clear that tempations WILL come our way: "Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted." Hebrews 2:18 (emphasis mine)

I think that sometimes I get this idea in my head that one day I'll wake up toughened enough to withstand temptation. But we are taught to renew our strength daily, by putting on the full armor of God. Paul admonished the Ephesians (and us) to "stay alert", which is a daily renewal of our faith, not some once-in-a-while strengthening.

"Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." Ephesians 6:13-18

Daily preparation is key. I need to remember that.

Quote to Ponder

"The glory of God is a human being fully alive."
--St. Irenaeus