After the meal was taken another two songs were sung and for a moment there was very real possibility that genuine celebration and excitement might burst forth from those in attendance. Obviously that didn’t happen because this was a church built on safe tradition. Laughter at the funnies – yes. Spontaneous applause and shouts and acclaim in praise of what Jesus accomplished – well that’s not the done thing is it. It’s not the English way. Of course it would be if England won the World Cup at any sport because that is miraculous, as well as success worth openly and publicly celebrating with high fives, whoops of joy and hearty back slaps and hugs all round. For that to happen during a church service, though? Well that wouldn’t be reverential would it. That wouldn’t do at all to a God who made us to worship Him in the beauty of a holiness that allows no room for exuberance. God forbid.
Meanwhile a few miles down the road the noise could be heard alright. People shouting out ‘hallelujah’ and ‘praise the Lord’ with the occasional smatter of ‘tongues’. People were jumping and flailing, the music was hot and stimulating the frenzied scene of ecstatic praise. You didn’t have to pump them up any further. They were primed, they were pumped, they were praising hard. When the festivities ended and the music stopped and the ‘oh glory’ had died down and the service closed, people steadily streamed out of the building at first talking about how hot the service was before slowly turning to criticising how the music was too loud and the preaching went on for too long and how the sister made a fool of herself by fling herself like that and how the brother didnlt smell good. Indeed by the time they reached the car whatever ‘spirit’ had whipped them up in a frenzy barely an hour ago was left dormant in that building never threatening to interfere with people’s regular lives outsideof the building.
The issue is not perfection. The issue is not behavioural conformity or unhindered spontaneity. The issue is whether we grow together in the spirit that sets us free to worship Him beyond the words in the book or in thescreen. The spirit that calls us to worship when the music is rocking andwhen it is absent. To celebrate wildly His death, resurrection and second coming. To joyfully embrace that love that builds rather than revert to a self that brings down.
One ol’ favourite hymn talked about how Jesus satisfies the longing after thirsting and hungering for so long. One ongoing quest is to grow in the community of grace that lives out the reality of that satisfaction in gatherings and lifestyles that celebrate Jesus with the whole being all the time.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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