This past Sunday was weird.We didn’t have worship service at CCF. Along with many churches in our area, the snow put a halt to our normal activities. Not having worship service on Sunday was even more significant as we had not met during the week before Christmas either.
It was a strange Sunday. I wrestled with regret for not having a meeting of some kind during the week and wondered how we might manage to have an extra service in the coming week. Hopefully our CCF Family has been able to enjoy some extra time with family and friends but it’s Christmas right? “Jesus is the reason for the season” and all that…you know, if you are a Christian you “should” be in church at Christmas. Even people who never attend church any other time of the year go at Christmastime.
“Why didn’t you all have a Christmas Eve Service?”
These are some of the thoughts and questions that have been looping through my brain over the last 48 hours or so.
A pastor’s mind can sometimes drive a person crazy!
It was really good to have extra uninterrupted family time. We laughed and ate and Jordyn and I watched a lot of football and laughed some more when Becky said “The Giants just don’t look right in green and gold!” (she thought the G on the Packer helmets was for Giants). My wife is an awesome woman but definitely NOT a football fan.
We certainly made the most of the snow day but I was unable to completely escape the questions and concerns that I incessantly ponder this time of year about worship services, special events, etc. Like I said, I sometimes drive myself crazy!
I finally gave up thinking about it last night and escaped into a book that I received as a Christmas gift. “Bonhoeffer- Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Eric Metaxes. As Christianity Today accurately says, it is a massive biography so I only read about one fifth of the book last night. I have read Bonhoeffer’s writings before but not a biography. From Metaxas’ book, I am getting a better understanding of this compelling figure of modern history. Bonhoeffer questioned the status quo. He was raised in a family that placed great importance on the truth and as a result, his theological studies alone would not satisfy his soul. The very existence of theology suggested the existence of God. And if God was, then knowing Him had to be more than religious exercise. The church had to be more than just a place for ritual and formality. The God of the universe could not be confined to a building or organization. Bonhoffer observed, in his day, that the church had become “the most grandiose of all human attempts to advance towards the divine.” And further stated that it is“far too easy for us to base our claims to God on our religiosity and our church commitment, and in doing so to utterly misunderstand and distort the Christian idea.”
Of course Bonhoeffer was observing a different culture and time. The German Lutheran Church in the 1920’s was probably quite different from the average evangelical church of America 2010, but the principle is the same. The Christian “idea” is that God came to us. This is Christmas right? At least what Christians say is the reason we celebrate. The Word became flesh and we received grace and truth through the person of Jesus Christ.
Our religiosity may be less formal but just as capable of serving as a distorted substitute for an actual personal relationship with God, which is the most incredible gift and only hope that any of us have.
As much as I love my church (and I do). As much as I love worshipping with, praying with and preaching the word at CCF, it is all about the real and living person of Jesus Christ. He is. He has always been and He never changes. He never leaves or forsakes us. He is never snow bound or hampered. Nothing slows down or prohibits Him. He is not dependent on us keeping our scheduled worship services intact.
Along with the instruction to preach the word, pray together, worship together and love one another, God’s word also says: “Be still and know that I am God.” “Come unto Me all who are weary and heavy laden.” “Pray in secret.” To His disciples He reveals the “secrets” of the Kingdom and scripture promises that God will judge the “secrets” of man in Christ Jesus. He is personal and involved in every aspect of our personal lives.
He is the God who revealed His glory in the Temple and promised that the gates of Hell would never prevail against His church.
He is also the God who ministered to Elijah in a cave, appeared to Moses in the wilderness, rescued Jonah from the belly of a whale and revealed His future plans to the Apostle John while he was in exile on Patmos.
He has been faithful to His own in the cathedral and the dungeon. The King’s Courts and the slave quarters. He makes poor and makes rich. Brings low and exalts. There is no place where He does not see and the darkness is as light to Him.
His Spirit knows no bounds and He is unimpressed with the loftiest expressions of religion, largest of churches or number of meetings.
He runs to the humble and heals the broken. He is love! He is life! He is salvation! He is our righteousness! He is! When we worship and when we don’t. When we meet together and when we don’t. When we “have church” and when we don’t.
Our most grandiose attempts to reach the divine have failed but He has reached us!
In human form, with all the fullness of God, He came to us as a servant and although our sins had separated us from God, He made peace by the blood of His cross. In His body of death He has reconciled us to God. By His resurrection He has defeated the last enemy, death. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together and still He stands at the door of our hearts and desires personal fellowship with us! You! Me! Think about that. During this time when we can’t meet together, I have been reminded that the Lord of the universe stands waiting to meet with me. I hope you have too.
If He is willing, I will see you soon. We will sing to Him, pray to Him, talk about Him and celebrate Him together!
