Time Constrains
Who among us has never had a timeline or deadline or just plain not enough time to do something? Our entire lives are based on how much we can accomplish in the allotted amount of time we are given. As a result many times we forget to take into account the quality of the product we are producing. The tendency is to get as much as we can in, in as little time possible and at the same time cutting out those things that have too much in them. The problem with this practice is that we apply it to everything in our lives.
From errands to relationships we try to accommodate everyone and everything. We read in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a time for every activity under the heavens, and we want to prove it! It's like we are all from Missouri and we tell everyone "show me", how can I do everything! I have been searching in the depth of my soul for something to write about this month. After much thought and much prayer I have been thinking a lot about the word; worship. One of my pet peeves is how we manage corporate worship in church. The bulletin or program looks like a program from a theater play with start to finish sections and in some cases what to do at certain times. It looks as if we were trying to keep the Holy Spirit from making the service go longer than 1 hour and 15 minutes. "Here it is Lord we have this schedule for this Sunday see if you can fit in it, but remember the (game, BBQ, yard work, etc.) starts at 12:30 so don't get too involved." Maybe I am wrong, but I do not remember Jesus restraining worship to a time limit? If that was the case he would have expedited the whole, suffering for our sins, crucifixion thing. As a matter of fact every time Jesus was in the middle of time with the Father in prayer, he was interrupted by the disciples with "Hey Jesus people are looking for you" excuse. Do you remember the Mary and Martha story? Luke 10:38-42...38 While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s[n] feet and was listening to what He said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.(HSCB)
What was Martha so preoccupied with that she missed the obvious; Jesus was hanging out at her house. Think about it for a moment, Jesus is in your house, shooting the breeze, just hanging out speaking wisdom to everyone in the house....(insert mind blowing sound in your brain here). Do you get busy trying to be a good hostess or host or do you sit and listen and wait for a more opportune time to start passing out the cheese and crackers? That's what we do with our Sunday worship time we turn it into "this is how we have always done it", instead of a worship experience. Mary just sat there and enjoyed her time with Jesus. That is what worship is; enjoying time in his presence in praise of what he has done for us. We complain that the songs are too loud or too long, we cut the third verse in most hymns. The third verse is where the holy spirit is mentioned in a lot of hymns. What does that say about us? When I go to church I am expecting Jesus to show up, I mean rapture moment showing up! I try to think, as best I can, that I am not there to be filled or taught or whatever. I am there to just be in His presence and praise Him for all that He has done for me. I come to church praying and hoping that someone who has been searching for Jesus will surrender to Him that day!
Our biggest problem is our greatest gift, that we live in a country that allows everyone to be their own person. We have the right to choose how we worship, but worship is not about what is good for us; worship is about what is right in the light of who we worship. If we truly meditate on the God we worship and all that we know so far about Him, that alone is reason enough to be, on our knees and hands and face to the ground, in awe of his glory!
RH
