Vintage21 Church Worship

This past weekend’s snowstorm and subsequent freezing temperatures left us no choice and for the first time ever, Vintage21 Church cancelled our services. We take this seriously, as each weekend is a chance to reflect Jesus to a lost world. I’m curious as to how this affected your view of worship. Did you see it as a “day off” from God? For me, it was a day off from leading others in worship, which I was not excited about – my role is a joy, and I am excited to be a part of what God does each Sunday in healing us, encouraging us by His Spirit, and drawing us to Himself through His Son. On the other hand, it was a blessing to have another day with my wife and two daughters, and I loved every minute of it. The heart perspective was different from a normal day, though, as I had the “missed worship” on my mind. How would we worship God as a family? How would I worship God without leading, singing, playing?

As written in the last post, it came down to my heart more than my actions. For the most part, our actions were normal for our family – playing, dancing, making food, praying, cleaning up, etc. – but the difference was an intent to worship God in that. Was this “less worship” than if Sunday had gone on as planned?

If you were at a church service, singing songs with a self-righteous belief that God would perhaps give you what you want since you were there, is that more worshipful than if you were home with your family, cooking breakfast with a thankful heart to God?

There’s no reason your worship would not be as pure, righteous and pleasing to God at home than if you were at church, singing in response. While the gathering includes prescribed and normative forms of worship- singing, communion, preaching of the Word, giving tithes – it is through Christ that we can know God, respond to Him in worship, and be seen as righteous. The Holy Spirit of God literally lives within us – our entire lives are to be lived as a worshipful response, whether we have a church service at Vintage21 or not.

Did you worship God yesterday? How did the cancellation of V21 services affect this? Comments and questions are always welcome.

A deep issue in Western Christianity is the teaching and practice of worship as singing for an hour on Sunday morning. Even if the church you attend or previously attended teach that worship is more than that, what does their practice betray? Would the evidence point to the belief that worship is mainly singing on Sundays? This incomplete definition of worship affected me for many years. When I began teaching middle school, it was a constant struggle to figure out what it looked like to worship God while doing my job. I mean, how does one teach about the lasting effects of North Carolina lacking deep water ports while still singing “Lord, I Lift Your Name On High” in my head?

While the Pharisees catch flak from our arrogant hindsight, we’re often similar in our approach to God. In their mind, the “what” you do mattered more than the “why”, or the heart behind it. For instance, it’s much easier to worship God when you define that as a quantifiable law or event. In our case, that’s attending church on Sundays and singing to God. We believe if we really concentrate on the words, sing as well as we can, we’ve worshiped Him. Jesus spent a great deal of time addressing their distorted view. Matthew 15 is a particularly convicting passage, as Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 right in the face of the Pharisees:

“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me”

A common theme in Jesus’ teaching is the examination of the heart, and the change needed in order to honor and worship God. Arguably, our heart is more important than our actions. Hold onto your tights, Brother Hood; Before you rob a bank to give to the poor, keep reading. Christ does not give us license to do whatever we want, as long as our hearts are right. In any case, when your heart is right, your actions and desires will be as well. This is behind Christ’s command in John 15:7 to “ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

As we seek to worship God outside of singing on Sundays, we often get hung up on our actions instead of examining our heart. This line of logic leads many to the conclusion that a person working for a church worships God much more than a bank teller. Let me assure you, having a job in ministry does not make you any more holy, any more righteous with God, or does it mean you worship God more. All it does is provide another method of legalism for those who would distortedly purport to be holy by their own actions. For all of us, worshiping God in each moment is not what you’re doing, but why. Are you serving yourself or God in this moment? Am I writing this blog entry out of a selfish desire to gain attention, or a humble obedience to God? Are you doing your tasks at work just to keep your boss or co-workers off your back, or are you humbly seeking to honor your boss in what’s been asked of you, because your worth is found in Christ? Your heart is what matters most. Give it to Christ, and ask the Spirit to sanctify you, that is; make your heart like Christ’s.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” – 1 Thess. 5:23-24

The remaining two songs we’ll sing this Sunday are And Can It Be That I Should Gain and Thank You. As you read the lyrics below, consider just what God has done for you, and ask Him to make them the natural response of your heart. Enter this Sunday thanking God for what He’s done and who He is.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday, and continuing our worship of God together.

- Matt Stevens

Imagine what our lives would be like if we actually believed what we were singing on Sundays. Before you think “I do believe what we’re singing” and click away to watch that hilarious monkey on a segway on youtube, read the lyrics below and ask yourself, “Do I believe this about myself?”

Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea, a great High Priest whose name is love, who ever lives and pleads for me.

If you believe this, does it affect you? Is it something you believe in your head as fact, while your heart remains unchanged? Believing this means you will stand before a Holy God with confidence, your guilt replaced with a complete sense of forgiveness and righteousness. Personally, this is something I understand in my head, but it comes and goes in my heart. If I truly believed that I am already right before God, why do I try to earn righteousness? Why do I play a game of religion, where I justify my actions by comparing myself to others “not as good as me”? If Christ’s name is Love, and he ever lives and pleads for me, why do I treat him like a boring old man rocking on a porch thinking a Werthers will solve all my problems?

Chances are, when we’re honest we realize our belief in God is shallow, limited to our own terms, and doesn’t quite penetrate our heart. This is part of the reason corporate worship is so beautiful, so essential. Often on Sunday I’m brought to tears in an instant, unable to sing. In that moment when my mind is not centered on myself, God speaks to me, saying “I am satisfied to look on my Son and pardon you. Be forgiven and believe.” I long to feel that peace and joy each day.

In preparing your heart for Sunday and worshiping God today, read the lyrics below and listen to the song. Ask yourself, “Do I believe this?” Pray to God that you would, ask Him to make that a reality in your life. “His compassions never fail, they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). If we believe these words, in our heart, so much of that joy you’ve been longing for will be found in Him.

Before The Throne Of God Above
Words by Charitie Bancroft, 1863
Arrangement by Sojourn Church

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is “Love,”
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heav’n He stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
One with Himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by His blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God
with Christ, my Savior and my God

Behold him there! the risen Lamb,
my perfect, spotless Righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!
Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me.
to look on him and pardon me.

To purchase this song by Sojourn Church, visit iTunes. To listen, here’s a link for last.fm.

Today’s song was introduced to Vintage21 Church in the season of Advent last year, but it’s value goes beyond singing once a year. The story of the Gospel can become rote over time, and we simply say what God did instead of really considering the cost and the effects. Read these lyrics, and ask that God would soften your heart to truly grasp the depth of His love.

Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor
Words by Frank Houghton
Arrangement by Mike Simons and Matt Stevens

Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
All for love’s sake became poor;
Thrones for a manger, you surrendered
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
All for love’s sake became poor.

Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake became man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heaven by thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake became man.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
All for love’s sake became poor.

Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Savior and King, we worship thee.
Emmanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what thou would have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Savior and King, we worship thee.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
All for love’s sake became poor.

Have you found yourself in the middle of worshiping God in a song, and all of a sudden you feel or sense a great weight of His presence? It could be a characteristic of himself that God is teaching you, or a blaring sin that the light of Christ is making apparent. Sometimes there’s a feeling of a huge weight being lifted as the overwhelming wave of forgiveness of Christ comes over me. Other times it’s a sense of peace in my heart regarding a difficult issue, as the sovereignty of God overshadows everything; in that moment I am simply “His child”. Tears often ensue.

How I long to feel that peace, joy, and humility outside of the service! Do you experience those moments during your week? While you’re driving, at work, watching tv or spending time with your kids does the conviction, peace or forgiveness of the Spirit overwhelm you? I’m wagering the majority would say no, or that it’s more prevalent during the Sunday service. The work of the Spirit is not limited to the Sunday service, nor is that “when he’s really on.” Could it be that we’re simply listening more during the Sunday service? There are less distractions, less temptations around us, and we have a distinct purpose for being there – see God, hear from Him, respond to Him.

God reveals himself more than a specific hour on Sundays, why would we not listen more than a specific hour on Sunday?

What if you continued the intense prayer, listening, thankfulness you felt during the Sunday service? We can lessen the distractions and spend time with him. Yet…we often do not. Do not magnify the Sunday service; it’s like only eating once a week. Instead, feast on the Word daily, minimize the distractions and listen each moment. So often the minute the service ends, our minds switch right back into “me” mode. Do you ever breathe a sigh of relief and think “Ah, now I can relax.” I certainly experience that. How sinful and selfish my soul is, to taste the goodness of God and still long for my shell of reality. C.S. Lewis says it well:

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

This week we’re singing “By Thy Mercy (Jesus, Lord Of Life And Glory)”. This song seems to resonate with the congregation, and I believe it’s in light of our simultaneous longing for Christ and weakness in following Him. Let’s make these words our prayer this week.

Our version is adapted from one by High Street Hymns, which is our friend Alex Mejias’ project in Charlottesville, Virginia. You can download their version here on iTunes.

By Thy Mercy (Jesus, Lord Of Life And Glory)
Words by James Cummins
Music by Greg Thompson

Jesus, Lord of life and glory,
Bend from Heav’n Thy gracious ear;
While our waiting souls adore Thee,
Friend of helpless sinners, hear:

By Thy mercy, O deliver us, good Lord.
By Thy mercy, O deliver us,good Lord, good Lord.

From the depth of nature’s blindness,
From the hardening power of sin,
From all malice and unkindness,
From the pride that lurks within:

By Thy mercy, O deliver us, good Lord, good Lord.
By Thy mercy, O deliver us, good Lord, good Lord.

When the world around is smiling,
In the time of wealth and ease,
Earthly joys our hearts beguiling,
In the day of health and peace,

By Thy mercy, O deliver us, good Lord, good Lord.
By Thy mercy, O deliver us, good Lord, good Lord.

In the solemn hour of dying,
In the awful judgment day,
May our souls, on Thee relying,
Find Thee still our Rock and Stay