The sky is cloud covered. Last night Mariusz slept on the overnight train to Kraków. I have my ticket to take the same overnight train on Sunday night. From now to then I will remain visiting friends and serving saints here in the Szczecin area. This evening I will be with the same group that I served last Friday evening. I expect to meet and chat with a number of other saints between now and train time Sunday.
This morning I have been chatting electronically with a very special saint back in the USA. It is so very pleasing and exciting to talk with the ones who have begun to catch the vision for the importance of relationship. I am continuously dismayed when I realize how few people actually grasp the concept. Funny, Holy Spirit just said to me, "Why are you so surprised ? If people are willing to extract the beauty of sex out of the context of intimacy of the marriage relationship, why would you not expect them to try to extract the beauty of worship out of the context of intimacy of relationship with Jesus; and to extract the beauty of fellowship out of the context of intimacy of the discipleship relationship." I think He has a point. I concede my hopes and expectations are sometimes unrealistic.
Family, the time has come for us to teach and train up a generation of people with vision for intimacy of relationships -- with God; with disciple makers; with spouses; with children; and with their own disciples. The tragedy of false intimacy in sex, in ritual worship, in organizational systems, and in our friendships must be brought into the light of real Jesus style relationships.
His, thus Yours,
Stuart
2 comments:
well said. very well compared.
In re: ritual worship and organizational systems
Not at all surprising that the crafty deceiver would invade systematic activities common among organizational systems.
A pulpit or platform (stage), special effects lighting, microphones, highly amplified audio, fixed and roving video cameras, and large screen projection easily turn in-the-pew folks into an audience and musicians into performers.
Mega-church translates to mega-audience, mega-exposure, and mega-followings. "Aren't you the one who sang in the praise group last Sunday? I just love your voice!)
Camera shots of in-the-pew folks with raised hands, closed eyes, and swaying with the tempo may evidence genuine, intimate worship, but also may be little more than pleasureful enjoyment of the performance underway while presenting a good shot for a roving cameraperson.
The popular worship chorus often sung in today's worship gathers, "I'm going back to the heart of worship where it's all about You, Jesus ... I'm sorry for the thing I've made it when it's all about You, Jesus," seems an appropriate confessional prayer, but best offered in private intimacy.
A two-fold authenticity litmus I find useful is: (a) are more folks listening and watching than folks who are joining in with their own voices, and (b) is the sound amplified to the point where it rises above the collective voices of the in-the-pew folks.
Microphones, stages, and special effects lighting can easily spin the heads of both worshipers and performers. (Not to long ago I visited a megachurch that used a fog-generator to create a mystical visual effect during the worship performance. Really? Doe we need special effects to lift our hearts and souls?)
During the week rehearsals (Do we really need to rehearse worship?) and weekend multi-service performances, though seemingly worship-driven) work havoc on family time and weekend family worship. It isn't surprising to me that church music ministries are too frequently breeding grounds for "friendships" that go beyond the limits of propriety and fidelity.
Beware when intimacy of worship becomes a public display. Indeed, intimacy and display are counter-intuitive. Like the bedroom, where intimacy is private and reserved only for intimate partners, I am inclined to believe my most intimate times with my Father are when Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are gathered and invite me into the circle for friend-with-friend fellowship.
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