I like to read authors from fifty years ago or more. It’s interesting how much of what they said so many years ago is still relevant today. They told it like it was without a hint of the political correctness that has become the rule of our day. One of my favorites, which will come as no shock to you if you have followed this blog for very long, is A.W. Tozer.
This morning I read the following comment from him: “In the majority of our meetings there is scarcely a trace of reverent thought, no recognition of the unity of the body, little sense of the divine Presence, no moment of stillness, no solemnity, no wonder, no holy fear.” Sadly, this applies all too well to many of our modern churches.
Why is this true? How can a group of people pledged to following Jesus gather together with little sign of unity and even less awareness of the wonder of God? Our God is the God. It is He who created you and everything that surrounds you in nature. Think of the limitless diversity on display in the flowers of the field, the trees in the forest, the fish in the sea, and the animals that roam our land. No person, regardless of how vivid their imagination, could ever conceive of such an incredible array. How often do you stop and consider all this was created specifically for us. It is all for our enjoyment.
We have access to this same God. He invites us to come to Him. It is our privilege to actually be able to converse with the very One who created us. The all-powerful, all-loving, all-encompassing God wants nothing more than to build a relationship with you. God loves you and wants to reveal His true character to you. Yet somehow, despite all of this, we come together “in His name” and spend our time acting as if we are totally oblivious to how awesome He is. Our worship is formulaic, rarely with any spare time to sit and ponder His magnificence, and too often is focused on how we should live rather than on who He is.
Life has never been about us. It has always been, and will always be, about God. Why then do we make it so much about us when we gather together to “worship”? If we were truly worshipping, all of our attention would be directed to Him. I’ve had some amazing times worshipping God through music in different churches. I’ve learned to revere Him more through many messages delivered over the years. But in between those moments, I find little evidence of reverent thought, sense of the divine Presence, moments of stillness, solemnity, wonder, or holy fear.
We need to take back the knowledge of our Holy God. We need to restore some solemnity and silence, time we can all fall on our face devastated by how awesome and beautiful He is. When we contemplate the glory of God together as one body, we can restore a sense of worshipful wonder. From there we will begin to understand that nothing can stop a people united and devoted to Him. That’s the church to which I want to belong.