A service of word and table
Saturday, June 5, 2010 by Thomas Ling
I have a problem every time when we come to this:
"We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. ....forgive us we pray..." We say this as a church month after month during the holy communion, for the past 25 years of my church life.
I don't know, if we keep on having to repeat this continuously without fail, something is seriously wrong with us. When are we going to become an obedient church? When are we going to do God's will, love our neighbors and hear the cry of the needy? God forgives, no doubt. But do we presume and affirm this will be our confession for the rest of our church life? Where is the power that is supposed to have set us free to do God's will? May we not also confess who we are in Christ during the holy communion according to God's word: 'more than conquerors', 'Christ's ambassador', 'not condemned', 'chosen, loved, adopted, redeemed, forgiven and marked with the, seal of the Holy Spirit!" We are a 'Royal priesthood', reconciled to God and given a ministry of reconciliation to bring the world back to God. Let us not only remember and proclaim His death, but also celebrate His presence now while we look forward to His second coming.
A defeated life is not our lot. Christ has won the victory, why we are still confessing defeat? Sure we must confess our sins, but surely even more so we must confess our victory in Christ. If all we know is a defeated life, if we are powerless to break the cycle of habitual sin, something is seriously wrong, because that's not the abundant life Christ promised those who believe and confess His name.
I have a problem with worshiping God with yesterday's writing and language. God delights in new songs of worship. "Sing to the Lord with a new song!" Surely we may also bring to Him a current word of praise and worship? My bet is: He delights to hear praises from our own lips and hearts, instead of that which is written for another era?
Is that your problem too?
"We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. ....forgive us we pray..." We say this as a church month after month during the holy communion, for the past 25 years of my church life.
I don't know, if we keep on having to repeat this continuously without fail, something is seriously wrong with us. When are we going to become an obedient church? When are we going to do God's will, love our neighbors and hear the cry of the needy? God forgives, no doubt. But do we presume and affirm this will be our confession for the rest of our church life? Where is the power that is supposed to have set us free to do God's will? May we not also confess who we are in Christ during the holy communion according to God's word: 'more than conquerors', 'Christ's ambassador', 'not condemned', 'chosen, loved, adopted, redeemed, forgiven and marked with the, seal of the Holy Spirit!" We are a 'Royal priesthood', reconciled to God and given a ministry of reconciliation to bring the world back to God. Let us not only remember and proclaim His death, but also celebrate His presence now while we look forward to His second coming.
A defeated life is not our lot. Christ has won the victory, why we are still confessing defeat? Sure we must confess our sins, but surely even more so we must confess our victory in Christ. If all we know is a defeated life, if we are powerless to break the cycle of habitual sin, something is seriously wrong, because that's not the abundant life Christ promised those who believe and confess His name.
I have a problem with worshiping God with yesterday's writing and language. God delights in new songs of worship. "Sing to the Lord with a new song!" Surely we may also bring to Him a current word of praise and worship? My bet is: He delights to hear praises from our own lips and hearts, instead of that which is written for another era?
Is that your problem too?