Today's Scripture Reading (November 18, 2023): Nehemiah 9
What would you stand for? And how
long would you stand to get it? Would you spend a few hours standing in line to
get Taylor Swift tickets? What about tickets to the 2024 Super Bowl? Or
maybe I should ask how long you would stand in line to hear the Gaither Vocal
Band, or maybe Phillips, Craig, and Dean?
Years ago, I commented on the
difference between going to a Bill Gaither and Friends concert, which often
features a crowd of people sitting and listening to the various people on the
stage, many of whom are also sitting, sing the songs that made them famous, versus
going to a Petra concert, in which both the performers and the concert-goers
are often not just standing but moving to the music and even singing along with
the songs that they know. At one concert, for the most part, we are willing to
let the professionals sing and listen to them as they practice their craft,
while at the other, participation is at a premium. A few times, I was asked to
lead worship while I was attending seminary. And once, I included a song that a
contemporary Christian band had written. One professor commented that he would
have never considered including such a song in worship. But for me, it was an
excellent congregational song.
The people gathered, and they recognized their sin. They put on
the signs of mourning. They fasted, wore rough, uncomfortable clothing, and placed
dust on their heads. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the
Law for a quarter of the day. I think most of us would stop going to church if
the pastor took away the chairs and made the congregation stand for the hour of
the service, let alone stand for a quarter of a day just to listen to someone
read and explain the Bible. Yet, that is precisely what Nehemiah asserts
happened. And then they spent another quarter of a day confessing their sins
and worshipping. It was a church service unlike any that we have probably
experienced.
The people read and confessed. And God moved in their midst. The
people needed a movement from God. And so do we. A while ago, I challenged my
congregation to meditate at the end of a worship service. And no, I didn't make
them stand, nor did we spend a quarter of a day, but we sacrificed a few
minutes to meditate and confess together. On this day, we wrote our confession
on paper, prayed, and then shredded the paper because I believe these
confessions were between the worshipper and God and are nobody else's business.
Following our confessions, we took communion together. We
must understand that while our confession is necessary, so is the reminder that
God intends to take our sins away. Zechariah comments: "See, I have taken
away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you" (Zechariah
3:4). The second part of
confession is always to receive God's sacrifice and his forgiveness for us.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Nehemiah
10
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