TOGETHER IN HIS PRESENCE: PENITENT

Dear Friends,

Our local Christian radio station devotes most of its Sunday afternoon programing to a program of “contagious encouragement”. It is filled with sunny relationship advice and uplifting testimonies. They take the line of the old song “where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are uncloudy all day” to whole new levels of positivity. The radio station describes itself as “safe and fun for the whole family”. Okay I am going to sound like the Grinch, but a few things need to be said about such sunny ways. Yes, the Bible does want us to be encouraged, but “encouragement” should come in a Christian context, and that means, among other things, that we do not only give encouragement. It is always easy to be unbalanced and to be unable to recognize when you have become unbalanced. We Christians are always prone to having the world shape us to live an unbalanced life which we fail to recognize. This sometimes comes from us either over-adapting or under-adapting to Canadian culture. Right now, to over-adapt will probably mean, among other things, the desire to have “contagious encouragement” churches. To under-adapt will probably mean we seek to emphasize sin lots and lots. This is the third blog in a series called “Together in His Presence”. It is a series about public worship in the local church. Our guide is a “Call to Worship” written by Thomas Cranmer in 1549. It is still used today in some churches. In fact everytime Messiah has a Morning Prayer service we use it. This Call to Worship is deeply biblical, and calls us to enter into biblical balance in our worship, and therefore, in our “common life” as a church community. One of the things it unashamedly does is very un-Canadian. The call to worship reminds us that we are redeemed sinners who still sin, so we need to become penitent - people who regularly acknowledge that we are redeemed, but as sinners, still sin. A Christian is a redeemed sinner who still sins.

Does this seem unwise or extreme for a “call to worship” in a worship service in Canada? Does making time to think of sin and repent in a church service seem - well, a bad idea? Something that will not help you grow? Before I show you the Call to Worship, consider this, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, ESV), “If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth.”, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make HIm a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:6, 8-10, ESV).

Listen to this Call to Worship and note its balance - and courage.

“Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same by His infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought humbly acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at His hands, to set forth His most worthy praise, to hear His most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying…..”

Note how the call to worship reminds us of one of the main teachings of the Bible “the scripture moves us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of the almighty God …” We are to confess our sin to obtain forgiveness. “And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sin before God, yet ought we most chiefly so to do when we assemble and meet together....”

This gets the tone and the content just right. The Bible tells us in “sundry” places to confess sin. “Sundry” means too many places to mention. Our sin is “manifold” which means that we sin many times and in various ways. We sin, for instance both in what we do, and in what we fail to do. The Call follows the Bible in reminding us that we have a strong habit of “dissembling” our sin. This means we disguise and conceal our sin. We also “cloak” our sin with noble sentiments, self-righteous justification, and self-flattery - rather than call our sin “sin”. We are to acknowledge our sin before God, confessing sin, with a “humble, lowly, penitent and obedient heart so as to receive forgiveness from God.” Do we ever really repent of sin if we are still proud, on our “high horse”, content with the sin, or have no intention of obeying God? Isn’t it wise to remind ourselves (and the church) of this? Note as well the balance of the Call to worship as a whole. It calls us to come together in His presence: as brothers and sisters; to come humbly; to come with a penitent heart; to be filled gratitude; to praise Him; to listen to Him; to ask for ourselves and for others; to come with longing “unto the throne of the heavenly grace.” In this Call, talk of your sin is not the sole focus of worship, but the service does not ignore sin either.

Friends, brothers and sisters. Please pray for all who call Church of the Messiah their church home - those who gather at 8am, at 10am, and online. Please pray that we will be so gripped by the Gospel that the Lord will balance our unbalanced selves, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will no longer flatter ourselves too much to detect and hate our sin, but will come to the throne of the heavenly grace, where with humble, lowly, penitent and obedient hearts we will acknowledge and confess our sins to God, be forgiven in Jesus, and freed up by the Holy Spirit to live for God’s glory and the good of people.

George+