Make God's Praise Glorious!: Flexibility and Working Together

BETWEEN THE LINES for Sunday, October 27, 2013

For the next couple Sundays the congregation at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church will be meeting in the fellowship hall for worship during sanctuary refurbishing. Preparing for this has reminded me of the importance of three things: being flexible, working together, and caring for God’s house.

FLEXIBILITY – Things always go better in a group when people remain flexible rather than stubborn. This is an interesting concept, something Christians need to ponder and spend a little time in self-examination. It’s good for you and me to ask ourselves questions like: “Am I flexible when I need to be?” “When have I been stubborn to my detriment and that of others?” “When has my flexibility been a good thing?” “When has my inflexibility not been helpful?” “How can I grow in these areas?” In life there are times when taking a principled stand is the duty and call of the Christian. At other times, being flexible is the Christian’s duty. Here is a link to a helpful article on this subject: FLEXIBILITY.

WORKING TOGETHER - Our pastor asked people to help on their way out of worship last Sunday by taking the hymnals and pew Bibles and placing them in the boxes at the exits. I was very touched to see a number of young people going the extra mile and clearing out these things from the choir loft and elsewhere. One young boy asked me where he could get another box because the one by the door was full. I have a folder with quite a few emails going back and forth regarding caring for the organ and it’s pipework during the painting, set-up for instruments in the fellowship hall, and so on. On many of these, I was copied as a courtesy communication. On several of those courtesy communiques, it promoted a question or further forward on my part. When the people of God work together in pleasantness, helpfulness, and harmony, it not only makes things go better, but it is a witness to the watching world that the Gospel is alive and working well! Here is a link to a helpful article on this subject: EFFICIENCY.

CARING FOR GOD’S HOUSE - Our pastors have been leading the congregation through the book of Exodus in their Sunday sermons. We are at the point where God gives Moses the details for building the tabernacle where his people will worship during their wilderness journeys. This begins in Exodus 25 and continues through the end of the book (with the terrible interlude in Exodus 32 of the golden calf incident). I am always struck when I read these chapters with how important it is to God how we worship and how the worship space, the details, the individual pieces all have a plan, purpose, and place in His house. When a congregation lovingly spends their time and resources caring for their place of worship, making it shine beautifully, this is pleasing to God and a witness to the watching world. I am reminded of Psalm 15 when I think about how spiritual and physical things are mysteriously bound together in God’s house. Here is a helpful study on Psalm 15, a psalm that beautifully ties together approaching God’s house with how we live our lives: ENTERING GOD’S HOLY HOUSE in PSALM 15.

I will not be at Ebenezer this weekend as I’ll be caring for some family business this weekend. Thanks to Melody Howell and Sue Pierce for filling in for me. I’ll see members and friends in worship again on November 3.

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MUSIC LINKS

Several selections from the album “This Is God’s House” by the Sanctuary Choir at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Cary, North Carolina. This album is from the church’s 25^th anniversary during my time as their Music Director.

This Is God’s House (Locus iste) – Bruckner

Zion’s Walls – Copland

Grant Us Thy Peace - Mendelssohn