Let Us Seek Him

"'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."MARK 7:6-7, Jesus, quoting Isaiah 29:13, to the Pharisees and scribes in part of his response to the question as to why his disciples did not wash their hands according to the traditions of the Law before they had their meal.

Let's put off disputes of religiosity, shall we? Let us look at the power of God who dwelt in the flesh as a man as the Christ, who came into the world for the purpose of delivering all from the bondage of sin, in a very quiet way. He is the Redeemer of Jacob, the Savior of the Gentile--all those who are not Jewish--He came to us as King, but not in the manner of a king. He was born in a cave! He rode a burro into Jerusalem, not on a stallion as military savior might, and the people shouted "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD" (Mark 11: 9)! I have had an ongoing dispute with myself and sometimes with others about matters of worship and organization, a debate of sorts which comes and goes in laid back and tense forms. It is for the purpose of recognizing that God is the One I, we, ought to focus on.

I've discussed with folks things like rituals, observances, traditional methods of worship in the Church's history, things which are outward practices and not nearly as important for discussion as the things of God, things above. But I have come to realize that something like organized churches, groups of Christians, as the body of Christ, the Bride, are worth discussing. If Christ didn't come to save men then He surely would have come to end the existence of mankind; this Body is a beautiful thing, and in so many ways in so many lives, the salvation ought to be mentioned repeatedly between the members and to the world. "We loved Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4: 19 NKJV). I would much rather talk of God than of our own religious practices, but on some occasions the moment has raised for me to converse about today's methodologies within the many denominations of Christianity. Such talk can be interesting to talk about, so I've learned; but there's a point in which the topic becomes irrelevant, distracting itself from the Word, that the talk is not based on the principles of God's teaching and truth anymore but becomes merely a focal point on the mannerisms of man trying to please himself by his own works.

Yes, I have been caught up with the wrong thoughts towards the Lord, thinking along the lines of pride that something I have accomplished could possibly be the primary reason why God created the universe. Now that's egotistical! If it pleases me it must please God, I have thought.Well, actually, no that is not how it works, chimes in the voice of truth. And such reasoning that our methods, our traditions, our rituals, are to the beat of the ultimate drum of worship irritates me in my mind and heart. I cry inside when I feel pressured by popular practices of corporate worship (singing psalms, hymns, and "praise songs" in a programmed format to fit the fads of the day in a time and place designated for God's children to come together for exhortation, ministering, and preaching) to do the same things as the people singing up front on stage. This are some of my thoughts I think and speak when I am in the conversation on anything to do with today's acts of worship. And suddenly, I've come into the trap that worship is anything finite; God is infinite, precisely God but not precise in time. He is the Lord of the cosmos, of our dusty bodies enveloped in the things of the world. He made us. He is big, we are less significant than a flake of dust, or a drop of water. But He gave us life and loves us innumerably. So if a three minute song and a couple dollar bills is our idea of worshiping God then I think we are sadly mistaken and have limited something of ourselves and our relationship with Him in the process.

I have so many words streaming forth in my soul, longing to be shared in a concise way, so if this is a jumbled, non-seminary argument, then that's fine by me but possibly not what many may think. May God give these words purpose for others to read and understand, to go to their Bibles and look into the Word, and then live out the life of worship unto the Creator. There's a road to walk down, and it's not an easy road to travel on, but may it be more often traveled than not.

To the Christian, in Paul's words: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10: 16-17). Let us seek Him at all times. Should we quibble the same arguments of rituals until the day that Christ returns? It seems useless, but there may be purpose in it even though I don't fully see it. May God grant me the understanding to not partake of useless arguments and at the same time uphold the gospel in the aspects of speech, action, and exemplification.