Just Too Light in Worship

Just Too Light in Worship Offered by Doug Blair, Waterloo ON, 2020

What was it Put me on the floor?

A sense of God Never felt before.

Oh I have gone to church And worshipped As I was led.

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But hardly felt a move Toward Christ And all He said.

The Gospel story Seen in coloured Children’s books.

The wholesome hug.

Self assured looks.

But nothing like The crushing weight today.

A light went on A deep constraint to pray.

An honest look at just How small my force And holiness bringing Singular remorse.

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But also thanks And trembling wonder At God’s care Some wet-cheeked Realization Of my Saviour there.

No more will I Make light of God come near In sovereignty And needful holy fear.

We have become much too familiar with Deity. How can I say that?

Surely the search is on to know our Lord. We make repeated efforts through sermons, songs, prayers and supplication, testimony and friendly faith exchange.

But we dread this one proviso: the full counsel of God. There are tricky points in scripture that we would happily ignore. They involve struggle and searching, testing and hesitation.

Consequently we find ourselves picking and choosing our pleasant theology. A Consumer Creed, if you will. An idol of man’s making

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just as wicked as that golden calf formed in the Exodus while Moses went up the mountain.

Our mental and emotional appreciation of God in triune operation becomes important. It underlies everything we do or say in Him, with Him and for Him. He is everlasting, all sufficient, all wise, uncreated, all resplendent, all victorious, all present, all loving and totally just and true.

Indeed it seems easier for us to consider what God is not. He has no maker, no need, no fatigue, no teacher, no forerunner, no beginning or ending, no changes in bearing or disposition. He is well beyond us, yet our heart’s cry is to know Him and somehow to enter into rich fellowship without panic or condemnation.

The mirror for us and representation is to be found in the earth walk of Jesus, God the Son. Read the first chapter in the Letter to Hebrews. See how simple and approachable was His creed and service in the Gospels. Dread and confusion will flee in the presence of this gentle and compassionate wandering Saviour, Healer and Friend.

I remember two wonderful books by A W Tozer written over sixty years ago. They were entitled KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY and GOD TELLS THE MAN WHO CARES. Much of the above comments came from Tozer’s words. He grieved at the levity and rush and disrespect and misrepresentation that he observed in most assemblies of the mid twentieth century. The dreadful error continues. The power of God seldom arrives. Although we may talk often and flippantly about sensing His presence.

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Assurance in His Holiness Would to God I knew His nature While superlatives abound.

Words and trembling Praise and proving Finding Him on Holy Ground.

No one’s servant He the mighty And the awesome Founding Cause.

His the wisdom And the mercy And the timeless Needful laws.

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With the pathway To deliverance Shown in Psalms Like one oh seven And desiring Redeemed children In the banquet halls of Heaven.

So I bow All self-abasing For it just seems right You know While my Elder Brother Jesus Covers everywhere I go.

Prayer Heavenly Father we thank you for scriptures and the exciting unfolding of your intentions for your family of faith. We also 6

acknowledge your special personal whispering in the Spirit. We confess that we do not pursue you as we should. We avoid your hard truths and attempt to make short-cuts. We dislike those sleepless nights when you are shaking our understanding; testing or refining our steadfastness. Please gift us with repentance and heart hunger. Please knock over all the idols just as you did for Gideon. We no longer yield to temptations or teachings of men that would suggest you are some sort of convenient delivery boy. You are Almighty God our Rescuer and Shepherd. Show us more in your unquenchable love. We ask in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

And There Was Blood A cord was cut And laughter followed crying The knees were scraped A young child fell at play The tools were sharp As wood was forced To fashion And Rome hit hard Deliverance meant for Yet another day.

And there was blood.

The common stream

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That makes all Peoples equal And into which The perfect Prince was sent.

He grew He learned Addressing human hurts With kindness The Word of Life His constant Nourishment.

But then the good Met matchless cruelty In meekness.

His Father God Obliged to let it flow The playing out Of suffering In the blameless.

The hill the tomb The price so big That only God could know.

And there was blood.

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