Vitamin Deficiency

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke18:1NIV

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm34:1NIV

Are you a good patient? Or do you do your own thing when it comes to your health? Let me guess. You go to the health shop and after a lot of thought you buy some vitamins because your body needs some help. You could have an underlying condition, or you are maybe just getting older and you need these vitamins to balance your body’s needs.

More than that, you go to the doctor and she gives you a wee pill on prescription for an ongoing condition, and when you ask how long you will need to take them, she says you will always need to control your cholesterol or blood pressure.

Let me guess, when you get the vitamins and the prescription, as soon as you get home, you take them. But then you stop. Well, you think, I took the pills but now you are surprised to be feeling as bad as ever during the days and weeks ahead. I am joking. Of course you are not that stupid because you wouldn’t be so short sighted. To get the benefit, you need to keep taking the medicine, right?

So, what makes us think we should have a part-time relationship with talking to God, praising Him, or reading His Word? We wouldn’t be so silly with our bodily health, so it makes sense that we need to look after our spiritual health, and we do that in the best way possible. There are no shortcuts in dealing with temptation or those sinful desires. We must keep on taking the spiritual medicine! During my Sunday School days we would sing “Read your Bible, Pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow”. In case you still haven’t got the message, let me leave you with this verse which says it best.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thessalonians5:16-18NKJV

Praise and Pride

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. Proverbs 27:2

This doesn’t need a lot of explanation because like many other verses in the Bible, the meaning is clear. We don’t need a Pastor, Minister or Priest to break it down word by word.

You can praise another for Godly actions, and both of you will stay humble. The only danger is when or if these words, spoken sincerely, go to your head and you become proud. I know some Christians who would not speak highly to another believer because it’s their way to “keep them humble”. However, we all need encouragement at times, and when a work is done well for the Kingdom, we should be quick to speak words of kindness, encouragement, and praise over them.

The rule is simple. If you want to stay humble, don’t praise yourself. It’s good to leave it to others!

Simple and Easy

During our time in North Carolina in the 1980’s we enjoyed the good folks we were privileged to meet, the fellowship of the church which was important to us as a family, and more so because we had (and still have) two lovely daughters who mean so much, and as I became more immersed in my work it was good to have that faith family away from home. We could count on them for fellowship, friendship, and good Bible teaching and preaching. These were good days, and have made for equally good memories.

One of our neighbours was a fine Christian lady, but because of her own circumstances she had decided not to attend or be associated with a ‘formal church’ group. Her church was a TV channel televangelist, and she got all the spiritual feeding she needed from that program. She tithed to her ‘TV Pastor’ and for the time we were neighbours this didn’t change. Let’s not be hasty to sit in judgement on her choices, because we didn’t know her circumstances. Keep in mind that this was in the 1980s before the internet came on the scene and changed all of our lives.

We like things made simple and easy, or at least I do. I would think that our neighbour would have logged into an internet church of her choice if available, and perhaps used that medium for her worship instead of TV. For a while it would have worked, but crucially for how long? In her own case she didn’t seem to be actively looking for fellowship.

There is good reason for being a part of a church body of believers. There is fellowship, working with others, spiritual growth, responsibility, Kingdom activity, praise and worship in word and song, and the teaching ministry which helps us grow. Another small point. Who will visit when you are sick? Encourage you when you feel down, and when you are promoted to Glory, who will be right there for your grieving family? Certainly not the TV or internet preacher. But we must remember above all else, it is the will of God that we gather together.

We must not quit meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. This becomes more and more important as you see the Day getting closer. Hebrews 10:25

Which is Better, Large or Small?

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

Recently it has been my privilege to worship in a church of around 150+ on a Sunday morning, and enjoy the fellowship, preaching, and the singing of praise songs to the music of an amazingly gifted group of musicians who give their time and talents freely. It is easy to enjoy these benefits of a ‘larger’ church in the same denomination.

You see, my own home church has an attendance of around 35. Similarly, the Word is preached, fellowship shared, and songs of the Kingdom are sung, led by a much smaller group of musicians who are equally dedicated to providing the music to worship. I suppose the biggest differences between the larger and smaller churches are the volume of music and open style of songs used. The smaller congregation is used to older hymns and songs, and the larger one uses more modern (less than 20 years old) contemporary songs, but both are used to worship the same God. One encourages a demonstrative participation, and the other experiences their joy in a quieter way.

Another major difference between the two church services, is the use of the open altar for voluntary prayer or seeking during the service. This is a dedicated, sanctified place to come and pray and leave your burdens and requests with the Lord. (I have asked myself if this is partly the reason for the larger church being more relevant and better attended, especially by youth).

There is a trap set for me, and I tend to fall into it easily. Having spent time with family, and shared the experience of the larger church for a time, I find it hard to return to the older form of worship when I return home. But then I am reminded of the verse in Matthew 18:20, and the fact that in God’s eyes, numbers, volume, and style are not important. The key is the last phrase, “there am I with them.” Thank you Lord for your promise which applies equally to small and large services where You are lifted up.

Taking Part

It would be a very strange football stadium that was very quiet during a game. It would be odd for a party to be silent. What would we think of a karaoke club where no one joined in the singing? Can the church learn from this simple lesson? In each of these cases, the people attending are expressing themselves appropriate to their event.

Expressions give us away, whether we know it or not. It is hard to ignore an infectious laugh or grin, in fact these make us want to laugh or smile too. Our faces tell a story which we cannot hide or deny, and so it is with the places we go to. If we enjoy being at the football game, party, or karaoke it will show somewhere on us. Maybe on our faces, or by cheering or singing.

There are churches where you will hear ‘Amen’ or ‘Hallelujah’ or ‘Praise God’. You may even see hands raised in worship. These are expressions of joy at being in the presence of God. There are singing churches, where the singing is rousing, loud and praiseworthy to the King of Kings. Some singing churches have volume, some melody, and on occasion some have both! But one thing is sure, growing and thriving churches are not silent and expressionless. Sure, not everyone has a singing voice, but those would be in the minority and even these can sing when among those who can carry a tune, so what does a silent congregation mean? Maybe I should let you answer that one.

The first half of the average church service is usually given to praise and worship, and that is where we get to express ourselves. The music and songs can be old and traditional, or modern and contemporary, but the common goal is that we get to express our worship in an appropriate way. Music and song are universal. We all relate, and enjoy taking part when we can. So let me go back and ask the question again. What would you think of a silent church that didn’t express itself? Just asking.

Music

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20 NIV

Music is a different thing to different people, but one thing is sure. Music is a universal language, which crosses cultural barriers, and at times can even cross the age divide. I think that is because music touches our 'inner self' in a way that little else does. Take a thought of how many love songs there are, and which types of music are the most commonly used. We have songs and music from Classical to Jazz to Pop to Rap, and to each listener it is music, actively talking to their inner being.

I am of the opinion that music has a significant part to play in our church life too. Why shouldn't it, because it does talk to our inner being? I would even go as far as to say it speaks to our soul (my own opinion). In CS Lewis's book, 'Surprised by Joy', he explores the effects of 'external' things on our 'inner' selves. Music is one of them, and in his own journey to find faith, he says music was a factor in his spiritual awakening.

Many churches rely heavily on repetitive prayers and chants to make a link with God, but for the most part, the reformed churches use hymns, psalms and spiritual songs. In all cases the reason is the same. It is our way of talking to God, whether we realise it or not, so not only is the music important, so too are the words. We are talking to God, and praising Him, so we are praying. Let's not take the significance of music in our churches so lightly. If we go to church, sit quietly and listen (we all have a voice, it's just that some are more in tune than others!) and leave having only listened to the sermon, we are missing much of the blessing God wants us to have, because music adds to our worship. 

Next time at you are at church, join in the singing, and use your voice to pray and praise in music to God. He loves to hear praise from His children, and you will come away very blessed, having entered into that two way communion which people of faith all need. If you take the time to read the words of these songs, you will see that they all contain hidden depths and so take us deeper in our faith walk.