A friend asked me recently about the danger of "idol" worship in the modern church. She meant the inclusion of those things in people's lives that become idols in our lives, and how easily the church will lose its effectiveness because of it.
I, on the other hand, heard "idle" worship in the modern church, and it led to a deep discussion about which is the bigger danger.
Are we, as Christians, more in danger of losing our focus on God and relationship with God because of the things that become more important in our lives than Him, or because of the fact that so many of us go to church, sing worship songs and fall into a routine, a "going-through-the-motions" existence?
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idol (and idle) worship." 1 Corinthians 10:14
Peace and grace, brothers and sisters.
I think we water down our focus on our Lord because we get busy with life..and the demands of it. It takes great discipline to fellowship with the Lord and grow as a Christian. A lot of folks don't have time to do THAT on their own AND go to church, so they go to church and hope that is enough. I still like the idea of the "church" being small group of followers who keep each other accountable and who encourage one another to stay on the narrow path.
ReplyDeleteI like it! (the blog, I mean; also love the Buechner quote)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pam; the pace at which we live can make it difficult to devote ourselves wholly to the gospel. There are definitely times I've 'gone through the motions' simply because my mind was occupied with various other concerns and responsibilities. That's not an excuse, just a recognition of the increased challenge of making worship a priority, when so many other things are crowding the schedule.
But that brings up another recognition: I think there is generally a correlation between idol worship and idle worship. As a general rule, everyone is captivated by something (or, as a wise man once put it, 'you're gonna have to serve somebody'). If I am idle in worship, it's probably because something else holds a place of higher esteem in my heart.
A final thought: looks can be deceiving. What appears to my eyes as idleness or lack of passion may in fact be a faithful rendering of worship, perhaps by one who is in a desert place, a 'dark night of the soul'. I'll probably be kept plenty busy just trying to get this plank out of my eye.