Friday, June 28, 2013

While We are Sleeping.

I've noticed one near-universal rule within American churches: Get the congregation out on time. I hear half-jokes by harried pastors as they carefully arrange their watch beside their sermon notes. I watch worship leaders coordinate songs in precise measurement--not too many, not too few, with just the right amount of repetitions--verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus-bridge. But no more than that--people have dinner to eat, movies to see, jobs to work, lives to get back to. It breaks my heart.

In the Old Testament, we see a group of people who responded quite differently to their opportunity to enter God's throne-room.
"The Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God," (Nehemiah 9:1-3).
A quarter of the day. That's six hours--not sitting in cushion pews, but standing. Six hours reading the Word, six hours in confession and worship. And we get antsy if the Sunday sermon goes over an hour? Rushing through the service, cutting of the Holy Spirit and checking our cell phones to ensure we're not late for lunch?

Meanwhile, we blame the unbelievers for America's spiral into depravity. We forget, it's not they who have the power to quench the Spirit--it's us. And we do it so well.

Yet even now, Jesus pleads with us: Can you not keep watch with me for one hour?

Dear ones. This is the turning of the tide. The moment of dark that will lead to the dawn. The hour grows late, and our oil burns low. Will we so easily succumb to the heaviness of our eyelids? Will we so quickly give in to our selfish impulses? Will we so nonchalantly stifle the Spirit that is our only hope of rescue?

And even now, Jesus speaks: When I come, will I find faith upon the earth?

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