Physical and Spiritual - The True Temple of the Worshipper

Do you ever find yourself trying to separate or distinguish your physical and spiritual lives from one another?

It seems like more and more, our society is (Christians included) set on drawing a solid line between the way they act when everyone sees and the way they behave when only God does. For example, one conjures up images in their mind of the person who drives like a maniac on the road, whipping in and out of lanes and cutting people off…only to reveal a large window sticker that says, “Jesus Saves!” Of course, there’s always the classic mobster movie, where the bad guy goes on a killing spree to avenge his cousin Vinnie’s murder (there’s always a Vinnie, isn’t there?), “whacking” every enemy in a 10 mile radius on Saturday night, only to dress up and go to Mass with his entire family the next Sunday morning as though everything is right in the world. Even more sobering are the true stories we hear every week about a minister or priest who could talk the talk on Sunday, but couldn’t walk the walk in their physical lives on the other six days of the week.

Why are we able, so readily it would seem, to flip the switch that is our spiritual life? On the one hand, it could be because we don’t always measure the full effects about how the way we act in public has anything to do with what is done is secret. However, I believe that, even deeper at the core, is this thought: holiness is good for church and not my life.

As we prepare for worship on Sunday, I want you to take an inventory of your “worship week” (as I’m often referring to it), and ask yourself this simple question: do I, by my action, distinguish between that which is physical, and that which is spiritual?

As you worship this week:

Meditate – on God’s presence in the heart of every believer.

Contemplate – on what a “body-temple” might look like and how your temple is matching up with being the house of God’s Spirit.

Seek – a harmony of existence, where the physical would step with the spiritual, the public with the private, and the seen with the unseen.

Find – strength in giving over your whole life to God: heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Resounding Themes:

Creator God
Worshiping God, Body and Soul
Purity and Holiness

Getting READY to Worship

Ready, Set, READ

1 Corinthians 6:11-20
Romans 12:1-2

Ready, Set, MEDITATE

- What problems is Paul addressing to the Corinthians in this passage? Why would that even be an issue at all? What have the new Christians there failed to recognize? How does Paul illustrate the gravity of the situation? Do you think of your body in that way… the temple of the Spirit? Why is mastering oneself (heart, soul, mind, and body) so important for the believer?

- In the end, are the two (one’s physical and spiritual lives) separable? Why do we work so hard at separating the two? What’s at stake? Is it easier to get the spiritual life in check over the physical…or visa versa?

- In Romans, what does Paul espouse to be our “spiritual act of worship?” What does he mean? What single reason does he give for rationale of doing this? What are some of the ways he gives to make this “body offering” a reality? Why is a renewed mind so crucial to real Christian living? In what ways to do offer your own body to God as a living sacrifice in spiritual worship? In what ways have you failed?

Ready, Set, PRAY

All creator God, we praise and magnify Your mighty works done both in the world and on man’s behalf. Even before we were formed in our mother’s womb, You knew us and how we would be. And with that omnipotence, so too did You know that we would be a sinful and lost people.

Lord, how could something so reviled and prone to sin become a house, a temple for Your very Spirit? And yet, we know for certain that the invasion of Your Spirit into our tormented soul brings about a change and a renewal…preparing our bodies for holiness and our lives for devotion.

God, as we become more aware of Your presence in our body-temple, would You grant us the courage to change and be changed – transformed into the likeness of Your Son. And it’s in His name we pray.

AMEN.

Ready, Set, WORSHIP!

The Me Monster Within

Do you ever find yourself consumed by the “Me Monster” within?

Children can teach us so much, don’t you agree. It has less to do with how they behave and act in certain situations than why they do so. In the end, their lack of inhibition or discretion gives way to allowing them to be honest – sometimes brutally – and allowing us all to watch, process, and gauge our own lives.

My oldest daughter just turned 5 years old. This has been a long awaited birthday for a number of reasons – not the least of which is that 5-year-olds get to go to school. I confess that over the past few months, we’ve used and sometimes abused this false marker to our advantage. For example, if our daughter begs us to do something we are not sure she’s ready for (or that we’re ready for!), we simply say, “well, when you’re 5 years old, you can do that.” Or, in a negative light, when she misbehaves, we have been known to play the guilt card and say, “now, that’s not the way a 5-year-old acts,” knowing all the while, her goal of being five is the very penultimate of her brief lifespan!

At any rate, as the date approached for her 5th birthday, her anticipation and, consequently, her selfishness, began to build. After all, hadn’t we been telling her for such a long time that this was going to be a marker in her life and that it would provide some detail of privilege? With these thoughts and many others packed in her efficient little mind, our daughter began to exhibit signs of what comedian Brian Reegan refers to as “The Me Monster.”

For at least two weeks, she insisted that her given name be changed to “Your Highness” or “Princess so-and-so.” And did we ever oblige! After that, it was about food and her amazing shift in what she did or did not like. Its like one day, she loved red grapes and the next they were as refuse to her refined palate…and so, we bought green ones. Then, it was not good enough for her eat what the grown-ups were having for the evening meal, but that only a specialized diet of chicken nuggets and french fries would suffice an almost 5-year-old.

And then with the presents! In those two weeks before her birthday, she would ask anyone who came to the door, with doe-like eyes, “did you bring me a present?” The mailman had to stop bringing packages to the door because of the guilt he had each time he deposited a delivery without my daughter’s name on in! I would come home from work and, inevitably, she would greet me at the garage door with her repetitive plea, “any presents for me?” It got so ridiculous, to the point when one of us would simply come out of the bathroom and she would ask again for a present, as though we’d been on a long shopping escapade at Toys-R-Us!

And then came the party. The weather had been fairly inclement up to that Saturday morning, and, being at our house, we had to adjust and move the activities inside. We worked hard at entertaining her friends with games and activities, before such a time as we would open gifts and eat cake. However, about 20 minutes in, our daughter decided all preliminary activities were beneath her dignity, and she withdrew and waited for present time while her friends played.

Needless to include, we did open her presents finally…some were acknowledged, some ignored, and then everyone went home. It was about four hours later that she woke up from a nap and asked us yet again, “do I have anymore presents?” With the party over and the 5 year milestone achieved, my wife and I had to step in and explain that her time in the spotlight was over and that it was not going to be about her anymore – there were others in the house and that life was going to have to return to normal. In short, the ‘Me Monster” had taken a hold of her very being and she was going to have to readjust to the concept of other people and their needs. As a side note, her best friend was not able to come to her party that day. One Saturday night, she said her prayers and asked God that her friend bring her present to church the next day. I told her after the prayer that she might want to think about saying something different to God and asking for less selfish things, to which she said, “Okay daddy.”

Wouldn’t you know it, the very next day, her present arrived as requested!

How are you at dealing with the “Me Monster” within? Do you find yourself content to not getting exactly what you desire in a circumstance, or do you constantly fight, tooth and nail, to get your way – despite the needs of others. Years ago, Burger King came up with the motto: Your Way, Right Away, At Burger King Now. It was a genius advertising pitch with elevated the position on the individual customer over anyone in the company, and if things were not exactly the way expected, a simple complaint would fix every ill. Dies this describe your spiritual life and at church? If the song you want sung or the event you think needs to happen doesn’t get done, are you apt to measure your own wants against the community, or do you naturally default to your own desires and tastes? As we deal with the second Urban Legend in our spiritual lives this week (MeChurch), be aware of the “Me Monster” within and be aware of the question, “is it really about me?”

As you worship this week:

Meditate – on how God has blessed you over the past 4 months and how you’ve responded to His provision for your life.

Contemplate – on your current level of contentment, specifically within your church body.

Seek – the ability to melt your personal agendas into the collective direction of the church.

Find – joy and gratitude for what you do have, not in that which you don’t.

Resounding Themes:

Being Filled to Overflowing
Ever-dying Will, Never-dying Gratitude
Kingdom Lenses, Kingdom Service

Getting READY to Worship

Ready, Set, READ

Luke 6:38
Mark 8:34
1 Corinthians 6:20
1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Ready, Set, MEDITATE

- What theme do you see through all of these passages? Is it so easy to “die to self” and to understand that “we are not our own?” Why or why not? In short, what is at stake when it comes to matters of will? What is the appropriate response of a Jesus-follower?

- At what point do you find yourself most defensive or selfish in your church? Why do you think that is? Do you have a Burger King mentality about your spiritual development (your way, right way)? Is there a place for dissention or a confrontation on specific matters? If so, when? Are there times/cases that it is inappropriate or ineffectual? Why?

- How can one combat selfishness or the “me-ism” that plagues our society? Are you a grateful, humble person? Do you find it hard to receive a gift? Are you gracious or reflective when given something? Does your attitude toward God’s grace reflect in every area of your life? If not, why not?

Ready, Set, PRAY

Generous Father, we worship You and You alone. There is truly none like You, both for now and forevermore! For what single thing do we have that was not a direct gift from You?

And in all things, teach us gratitude and generosity, that we too might be generous and grateful to others and to You. Father, may our wills and personal preferences dissipate as dew in the morning sun, so that we can better understand community and a sense of belonging. And Lord, may Your Church be the evidence of our love for one another and Your undying love for Your people. Would we think different, act different, and be different because of our contact with the Savior.

Jesus, for all that You’ve done, we say ‘Thank You.” And would You continue to do it in our lives, as we strive to work together, as small parts of a great whole. It is in Jesus’ name we offer this prayer.

AMEN.

Ready, Set, WORSHIP!

God Wants Me To Be Happy...Doesn't He?

God wants you to be happy…doesn’t he?

It seems like a silly question – even one with an obvious answer – but indeed, does God really want for us to be happy? In the next three weeks, we are going to be launching into a new teaching series entitled, Urban Legends – Debunking Spiritual Myths. The purpose of this series is to take commonly retorted phrases we hear in church or popular Christian writings and put them to the test of Scripture. One of the most prevalent of these notions is believing that God wants for us what will make us happy.

In light of this, I propose this new set of Beatitudes to reflect the state of culture in our society today:

Blessed are the rich in stuff, for theirs is whatever makes them happy.
Blessed are those who keep a stiff upper lip, for nothing will rattle their will.
Blessed are the brash, for they will be heard and get their way
Blessed are those hunger and thirst for the things they can’t have, for soon their stomachs will paunch with forbidden pleasures.
Blessed are those who are vengeful, for their enemies will always cower in their presence.
Blessed are the looseness of character, for they will win the ears of many, though the loyalty of few.
Blessed are the antagonists, for they will create enough trouble to distract others from their own failings.
Blessed are those who stand for nothing, for they will be able to change their spots in a moment and avoid all persecution.
Blessed are you when are the first to indict, accuse, and slander, for yours is the offensive while others retreat.
So, rejoice and be glad, because, for number one to be happy, you have to look out for number one!

Okay, okay, I know…it’s a bit cynical, but the truth remains that our nature is to gravitate towards any behavior that brings us happiness – no matter the consequences – and to substitute God’s will for our own insatiable lust. Indeed, happiness is an admirable achievement and one that most of us would resonate with if given a choice…but is that truly what God wants for us?

The problem with happiness, in general, is its subjective and fleeting nature. Time and time again in the Old Testament, God would give His people something that they thought would make them happy…only a short time later, the grumbling would set in again. In our present culture, there are many people pretending to espouse truth, and even more with itching ears to receive it. Our challenge, throughout this series, is to declare what is truth and then take it to our culture with an affirmative voice.

Does God want us to be happy? I can guarantee that is a piece of what He wants for our lives. But even more so, I believe God wants us to be blessed – and even Paul was quick to understand the blessing in the thorn.

As you worship this week:

Meditate – on a time in your life that you were truly happy, and determine what circumstances precipitated that happiness.
Contemplate – on if/how your attitude shifts when life is not exactly as you hoped it would be.
Seek – the constancy of the Lord and his faithfulness.
Find – contentment in knowing that your happiness in God is not circumstantial, but based on an everlasting promise.

Resounding Themes:

Wonderful God
The Joy of the Lord
Un-circumstantial FaithWonderful God

Getting READY to Worship

Ready, Set, READ

2 Timothy 4

Ready, Set, MEDITATE

- What does Paul charge to Timothy in the end of this letter? Why is Timothy’s constant readiness so important? Why is important for us to always be ready as well.

- What time does Paul say is coming? How will men act during this period? Why will they do so? Do you think that people will be swayed by the “myth teachings?” What doctrinal myths are retorted today as Scripture? How did they get that status? How do they continue?

- How can we combat the “urban legends” about spirituality in our own lives? How does Paul tell Timothy to do so? In the end, why do we need to stand up against such myth-telling in our own church, family, etc.?

- Is personal happiness an “urban legend” for the Christian? Why or why not? Is happiness a goal worth achieving for the spiritually minded? Why or Why not? Is there a danger to too much happiness? How so? Can someone possibly be blessed and not happy? Explain? Which is the most honorable/substantive?

Ready, Set, PRAY

O Sovereign of the ages, we worship You…there is none beside You, O Lord! As we pour over the witness of Scripture, we are humbled and amazed at how Your greatness has overshadowed any other moment of history. In famine, You were there. In triumph, You were there. In disaster, You were there. In celebration, You were there. In happiness, sadness, loss, sacrifice, jubilation and grief, you were, are, and will be there. In fact, if we know one thing about You at all, righteous Jehovah, it’s that You transcend circumstance. O God, How wonderful You are!

Father, as we ask, would You show us truth – truth that will outlast the fads this world has to offer. Lord, don’t merely grant us a system to measure all things by, but allow us the discernment to see clearly You will for our lives – from situation to situation and crossroad to crossroad.

And as we humbly search for the equilibrium of happiness for ourselves, assist us, as we measure our life against the Beatitudinal person our Lord Jesus so plainly outlined in the Sermon on the Mount. So, Father, will You bless us – truly bless, in every sense of the word. And thereby, would we find happiness in knowing that You’ll fulfill in our lives what You’ve promised to us all…that Your glory might be revealed.

We ask it in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

Ready, Set, WORSHIP!