I love gathering with God’s people for worship, study, encouragement, and inspiration.
I love it and I need it.
I needed to make that clear before I say what I’m going to say next.
When it comes to our spiritual nourishment, we depend WAY TOO MUCH on what happens in the church gathering.
Here’s what I mean:
We have style and content preferences when it comes to music, preaching, teaching, and programs.
And we crave the safety of familiarity—the patterns and rhythms that give us a sense of comfort and equilibrium.
Therefore, when something breaks the pattern, or when our preferences are consistently ignored, we are tempted to conclude that we are not being adequately “fed” spiritually.
And if that discontentment is not solved, we may look for another church gathering or determine that the gathering is a waste of time.
What if we were to see the church gathered as AN essential component of our spiritual lives, but not THE source of our spiritual nourishment?
Here’s what inspired my pondering today:
I read an unfamiliar hymn in my “coffee and Jesus” time.
One of the things I love about reading/worshipping my way through the hymnal is that my familiarity and preferences are irrelevant. I get to be inspired by unfamiliar songs like “Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know” by unfamiliar poets like Johann Schwedler (1672-1730).
“Ask ye what great thing I know that delights and stirs me so? What the high reward I win? Whose the name I glory in? Jesus Christ, the crucified.What is faith’s foundation strong? What awakes my lips to song? He who bore my sinful load, purchased for me peace with God, Jesus Christ, the crucified.Who is life in life to me? Who the death of death will be? Who will place me on His right with the countless hosts of light? Jesus Christ, the crucified.This is that great thing I know; this delights and stirs me so: faith in Him, who died to save, Him who triumphed o’er the grave, Jesus Christ, the crucified.”
Do you know why I selected that hymn for today?
Because it was Hymn #282 in my hymnal.
Yesterday’s was #281. Tomorrow’s will be #283.
Do you see a pattern?
My chapter for Bible reading this morning was Psalm 26. Yesterday was Psalm 25. Tomorrow’s is Psalm 27. You see how this works.
Some days I’m not particularly impressed with the hymn or the Bible reading. But I’ll stick with the plan because I understand that preferences and familiarity are not what cause me to grow and I trust that God can and does speak when I slow down and listen.
And if I’m “feeding” on the nourishment opportunities daily, I can more fully embrace the place of the gathering in my life as an opportunity to be encouraged and to be an encourager.
What’s your spiritual nourishment plan? How can I assist and encourage you?
Be amazing today, my friend.
