Good day dear friends.
We continue to affirm different styles of worship and the centrality of God in worship. If it were not for God, we would not have worship; we are but those who put on worship for God's glory. We can be and should be blessed by being active participants in it.
Here is our study guide for today: Thursday: Please find Galatians 6:11-16 and read there another difference in worship between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. How does this difference speak to you about your worship life? Does your worship of God depend on what others think of you and how you worship? If so, what has to change to keep this from being the case?
Here is the passage from Galatians 6:11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
The earliest disagreement between Christians was about the holding to Jewish requirements before coming a Christian. In other words, should Christians become Jews first, then Christians? Or can one become a Christian without becoming a Jew? For us the answer is the latter, but for those being converted by Paul and others, who were Gentiles, they were being pressured by Jewish Christians to receive the sign of the covenant, which was circumcision. You know Paul's response for in verse 15 "For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!" This follows what I said Sunday about the days when men and women wore hats to church and it was almost an unspoken requirement for admission into the church. Once hats were no longer an issue, the wearing of suits was. Men and boys were "expected" to wear a suit to church or they were not dressed properly and were considered poor or ill informed about "proper dress" for worship. An old email story made its way to my mailbox yesterday about a church wanting to start a ministry to university students but did not know how and it just so happened that a young man recently converted to Christianity wanted to worship there but did not know about "proper dress" and walked in with torn jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes. He sought a place to sit and could not find one and just wandered up to the altar area and sat on the carpet. One of the older ushers and well-respected members of the church who walked with a cane, saw this and started making his way up the aisle with the tip tap of his cane marking his every step. Some folks just knew what he was going to do and sadly most agreed that this was necessary. To everyone's surprise, the old man reached the young man, and with all the effort it took him, made himself sit on the carpet next to the young man, hugged a welcome to him and sat with him so that the young man would not be alone. This was the message for the morning and one that all there would not soon forget.
How do you suppose you would react to something like this "out of the ordinary" in your "custom" of worship? Do you and your church welcome the ones not in "proper dress?" Do you yourself welcome these with outward expressions?
PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for those who seek You even if they do not come in proper dress or know the established rituals of worship. Help me to welcome and love them, in the way You welcomed and loved me when I first came to You. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
