Well, it was sure good to be back at church today. GCC to be exact.
I finished my three weeks of holidays this week, and felt good and ready to get back into the saddle.
Just a struggle to please everyone, you know?
"Let's have more music ok?"
"Let's have more preaching ok?"
"Lets have more ___________ ok?"
Day one and that's the sound I hear.
And I hear them all, all are valid descriptions and desires. We don't all worship God through the exact same routes. But how to do it all in 60 minutes...
So I suggest lengthening the service.
"Lets have a shorter service ok?"
"Let's have a longer ser ........
You can't please any of us any of the time, eh?
ReplyDeleteWell I''m OK with if you just please God best you can.
I could put arsenic in the old guy's scotch some days!
"You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time..."
ReplyDeleteHeard the "...but I'm out of time..." thing at the end of the service today. I confess that often I perk up when I hear that, but it really shouldn't have to be said--and sometimes I wonder if the clock shouldn't be taken off the back wall and all watches be left at the door (like in the medieval times: "no blades, no bows, leave your weapons here"). I dunno.
Randall,
ReplyDeleteRemember how lucky you have it! and hey remember that your boss, the God of all us is warching you and hears everytime you complain about the job he gave you and the flock which you are to shepherd.
I do believe that having a sermon every Sunday is not too much to ask from your flock considering that's why you were hired in the first place! C'mon Randall you have a great job and a great church to shepherd. Please stop whining so much.
Sandy
Randall,
ReplyDeleteRemember how lucky you have it! and hey remember that your boss, the God of all us is warching you and hears everytime you complain about the job he gave you and the flock which you are to shepherd.
I do believe that having a sermon every Sunday is not too much to ask from your flock considering that's why you were hired in the first place! C'mon Randall you have a great job and a great church to shepherd. Please stop whining so much.
Sandy
The most wonderful thing about the Body of Christ is our diversity and making it all come together in that diversity. I suppose Matt may need a little fine tuning with his timing of the worship too, but hey, sometimes quality is much better than quantity......time is not an issue with me, as an individual. Bless you, Randall, for taking care of all of us. You are a shepherd of fine are rare qualities......and we love you.
ReplyDeleteMatt did really well on Sunday, there were no complaints about him. He's gonna do great in leading worship!!
ReplyDeleteI should clarify, that these comments, about likes and dislikes were only limited to two or three people, and they were mentioned in mostly good ways and not about the service that day.
I think usually I take those "Time" or "What I want" comments in stride and attempt to direct people to the larger picture. But this Sunday was, weirder.
The details don't really matter, but broken people, under the delusion that they are well, can to do much damage to innocent sheep.
Tomorrow I've got to meet with some hurting "Sheep" who may turn their back on God and his church because of really un-Christlike behaviour of church members.
This place is called "Just Life." It's not called "Just a great Happy Life," nor is it called; "Just a lousy life."
It's a place where I desire honesty to be expressed, and the honest fact is that I'm not perfect. Fact number two is that The Church, (Not only the church I care for), but the whole church isn't perfect.
So where do you go from there?
Some put on a happy face and smile and say all is well. They do not speak the truth.
Some will set up new rules and expectations which will indicate a near fulfillment of perfection. They do not speak God's truth.
The nearest and best way, as I figure it, is to be honest. With ourselves, and each other, and with God.
Dietrich Bonhoffer noted, "He who is alone with his sins is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, not withstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their loneliness. The final breakthrough to fellowship does not occur because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and as devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everyone must conceal his sin from himself and from their fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners!"
"At Sunday worship, as in every dimension of our existence, many of us pretend to believe we are sinners. Consequently, all we can do is pretend to believe we have been forgiven. As a result, our whole spiritual life is pseudo-repentance and pseudo-bliss."
The Church needs to be truthful, honest, penitent, and forgiving. So that she can experience God's real grace and mercy.
And now, in the words of Moses: "God, show us your Glory!"
Just thought it was great for Matthew to lead the worship in such an honest, God seeking way. We need men to step up like that. It was a really nice service. Thanks. I do relate to getting "beaten up" with comments about structure and programs. It's hard to start a new season like that. Pray for me as I pray for you. God will be there. We need him to be.
ReplyDelete