I Was Just Thinking About – MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.
I wrestled about a title for the Blog today. Why? Yesterday began what has been historically known as Holy Week – Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Two titles I had considered were Disappointment or Discouragement. It has been several weeks since I have been privileged to enter a building to join with the people of God for Worship. Being treated for Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma entails some limitations – being in public gatherings is one of them. After being involved in some form of ministry for most of my life, this is a vacuum at the moment. I don’t know if the Lord will ever have me preach again, but two things that have been purposeful in my life to this point have been: The words of an old servant of the Lord, Richard Baxter – 1615-1691 - who said: “I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men."
The last words I spoke in a Sermon when my voice was unable to go on was to the effect: “Keep your life in the center of God’s will for you.” I would love to be able to preach once again but my life and that ability are in the center of God’s will for my life. Additionally, had I been invited to preach somewhere yesterday, I would have wanted to try but would have been unwise to have done so due to low White Blood Cell count and some weakness.
My alternative was to listen to some of what is available to the general public on radio or television. This is where my disappointment came about – the lack of a “Holy Week” focus that emphasized in some manner: Palm Sunday – Temporary Reception (“Hosanna to the King” – Matthew 21:9); Maundy Thursday - Teachable Receivers (Washing Disciples Feet – John 13); Good Friday – Traumatic Rejection (Matthew 27); Easter Sunday – Triumphant Resurrection – (Matthew 28). One sermon was on First Corinthians 13 and the interactional love towards one another and husbands/wives; another was on the Resurrection (even though it was a week ahead of Easter). My rational at this point was that the man delivering this sermon could be justified in doing so IF he had clearly stated his reason that Palm Sunday – Temporary Reception to Easter Sunday and The Triumphant Resurrection are connected. His text could’ve been Romans 1:3-6, “…concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was DECLARED TO BE THE SON OF GOD in power according to the Spirit of holiness BY HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”
The other concern was a Choral Anthem that was sung during a Service of worship. It is a classic Hymn of the Church written by Sabine Baring-Gould (1865): Onward, Christian Soldiers. During Holy Week 2018, is a cause for Missed Opportunities due to Hymn words we sing without any thought given to whether or not they are true words in our lives and the functional ministry of the Church today? The third stanza of the Hymn caused me to think of how meaningful the words are but how sparse is the veracity of them within the “church” today: "Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. We are not divided, all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity."
How much of this lyric is actually true today? If the lyric is descriptive of how things are in the lives of professing Christians and the Church, what have I been missing? What have I failed to see and know? How many ways have I mislead the people who have gathered to hear the Word of the Lord? Have I failed them and the Lord?
If I could, I would have the Biblical Christian today living out the words of First Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
Prayerfully – consider these things with me!
I wrestled about a title for the Blog today. Why? Yesterday began what has been historically known as Holy Week – Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. Two titles I had considered were Disappointment or Discouragement. It has been several weeks since I have been privileged to enter a building to join with the people of God for Worship. Being treated for Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma entails some limitations – being in public gatherings is one of them. After being involved in some form of ministry for most of my life, this is a vacuum at the moment. I don’t know if the Lord will ever have me preach again, but two things that have been purposeful in my life to this point have been: The words of an old servant of the Lord, Richard Baxter – 1615-1691 - who said: “I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men."
The last words I spoke in a Sermon when my voice was unable to go on was to the effect: “Keep your life in the center of God’s will for you.” I would love to be able to preach once again but my life and that ability are in the center of God’s will for my life. Additionally, had I been invited to preach somewhere yesterday, I would have wanted to try but would have been unwise to have done so due to low White Blood Cell count and some weakness.
My alternative was to listen to some of what is available to the general public on radio or television. This is where my disappointment came about – the lack of a “Holy Week” focus that emphasized in some manner: Palm Sunday – Temporary Reception (“Hosanna to the King” – Matthew 21:9); Maundy Thursday - Teachable Receivers (Washing Disciples Feet – John 13); Good Friday – Traumatic Rejection (Matthew 27); Easter Sunday – Triumphant Resurrection – (Matthew 28). One sermon was on First Corinthians 13 and the interactional love towards one another and husbands/wives; another was on the Resurrection (even though it was a week ahead of Easter). My rational at this point was that the man delivering this sermon could be justified in doing so IF he had clearly stated his reason that Palm Sunday – Temporary Reception to Easter Sunday and The Triumphant Resurrection are connected. His text could’ve been Romans 1:3-6, “…concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was DECLARED TO BE THE SON OF GOD in power according to the Spirit of holiness BY HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”
The other concern was a Choral Anthem that was sung during a Service of worship. It is a classic Hymn of the Church written by Sabine Baring-Gould (1865): Onward, Christian Soldiers. During Holy Week 2018, is a cause for Missed Opportunities due to Hymn words we sing without any thought given to whether or not they are true words in our lives and the functional ministry of the Church today? The third stanza of the Hymn caused me to think of how meaningful the words are but how sparse is the veracity of them within the “church” today: "Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. We are not divided, all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity."
How much of this lyric is actually true today? If the lyric is descriptive of how things are in the lives of professing Christians and the Church, what have I been missing? What have I failed to see and know? How many ways have I mislead the people who have gathered to hear the Word of the Lord? Have I failed them and the Lord?
If I could, I would have the Biblical Christian today living out the words of First Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
Prayerfully – consider these things with me!
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