Jump Start # 4002
Psalm 34:3 “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”
It hadn’t happened in nearly six years, but it happened again. Across a big section of this country, paralyzed by a massive snow storm, many congregations cancelled the gathering together for worship on Sunday. We were one who did that. We did that for safety reasons. Knowing that this was likely to happen, most provided a recorded sermon and Lord’s Supper for their congregations to watch at home. That’s what we did. Filmed a sermon on Thursday, anticipating what came in late Saturday and Sunday.
Several thoughts come from this experience:
First, what we offered is not the same as coming together. Sure, we opened our Bibles and were taught some thoughts. We prayed. We sang. We remembered. But, we didn’t get to see one another. There is such encouragement from seeing faces, hearing stories and being with each other. Nothing beats that. There is no real substitute for that. Watching from home is easy, maybe too easy. Generations before, folks had to open their Bibles and the leader of the home would read a few verses and talk about them. Each home would have a different lesson and based upon the spiritual fiber of the home, some would get along fine and others wouldn’t.
Second, what a blessing to live in these times. After we finished our video worship from our home congregation, we found a singing out of Texas that took place several years ago. We spent many minutes singing hymn after hymn. It is so dangerous just backing out of the driveway, let alone traveling to states away and then to be able to go back years in time and enjoy and benefit from a singing is such a blessing. There was a time when a sermon was preached that it was likely never heard again. Now, our sermons, classes and worship services can out live us and benefit people worldwide. A person can listen to a sermon a day from just about anywhere in the country. What a benefit, treasure and blessing this is. So much lasting good can come from this.
Third, preaching in front of a camera without an audience is hard. Maybe if I did this every day, it would become more comfortable, but what’s missing is people. People looking at you. People writing things down. People shaking their heads in approval. The sound of pages turning in Bibles. The sound of little babies crying. The sounds of life. Sermons are intended to reach the heart. You need the inflexion of the preacher’s voice. You need to see his eyebrows go up and down. You see him smile. You hear the force of his voice. You need to see his passion. You need to hear the quiet pauses. Stephen’s powerful Acts seven sermon misses those things for us. Paul’s sermons in Acts don’t have those bonuses.
I have many, many printed sermons from generations ago in books. They can seem dry and dull. They are missing life, the life of the preacher and the life of the audience. Preaching is much more than facts, information and learning. It’s transformation. It’s persuading. It’s changing lives.
Snow or not, it was a Sunday, the best day of the week. Our God is deserving of our attention, worship and heart. This is true if we are meeting in a church building, away on vacation, snowed in at home, in combat zones during war or as they did long ago, meeting in catacombs for safety. We can take our Sunday gatherings for granted. We can become so use to them that they do not seem special.
Sunday with the Lord. Sunday with each other. Nothing like it.
Roger