Each week it is my task to plan the worship experience at Baker Street Community Church. Lately I have been wondering what type of service I would plan if there were no traditions to respect, no feelings to worry about offending, or expectations to meet. What if I were free from all of those things.
I would start by removing all the chairs in the sanctaury and having a few chairs along the outside walls. Then throughout the week, the people of the church would gather to pray. They would pray for the lost and hurting, they would pray for the worship services, they would pray for lots of things, but most of all they would pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done” and really mean it. But the community, congregation, and kingdom would be bathed in hours and hours of prayer every week.
Come Sunday the people would begin to gather and everyone would feel welcome. The new people to the congregation and those who had been there for many, many years- everyone would feel loved and accepted. There would be hugs, handshakes, smiles and much, much joy because the body was gathering to worship her Lord. It would be a place where everyone looked at others with the eyes of Christ, so that they saw beauty, grace, and potential in Christ- not the surface differences that so often separate us.
The gathering would be multi-racial; Asians, African-Americans, Hmong, Native Americans, Hispanics, Anglos…people of all nations, tribes, and tongues- just like Heaven will be. And we would enter His sanctuary…
First we would worship with music for 40-50 minutes. Some new, loud music. Some old, slow music. But it would take our spirits into the presence of Jesus Christ. There we would be all standing as a body before Christ. Shoulder to shoulder…shoulder to shoulder…all common in Christ. Some would raise their hands, other would not. Some would move to the beat of the music, others would not. Some would wave banners, others would not. The children would dance with joy. No one would watch anyone else or worry about what someone else was or wasn’t doing. Everyone would be focused on Christ. And the presence of God would be felt by everyone.
After the music (no one would look at their watch), we would sit as families, friends, and neighbors. Some would need chairs, some would sit down on the floor to hear God’s word shared by the pastor. It would be informal, like family movie night in the living room of an average home. Everyone would bring their Bible and follow in God’s Word. The message might be 15 minutes or it might be 40 minutes…the people would trust that the pastor was sharing what God had lied on his heart to share…the people would know that the pastor’s devotional walk with Christ was trustworthy.
After the sharing from God’s word, the pastor would ask if anyone wanted to praise the Lord and testimonies would ring through the sanctuary for a good long time (and no one would look at their watch). Then everyone would lay on their face before God in prayer and praise Him for His excellent goodness. Next people would share their needs and challenges. The people of the congregation would gather around the hurting to lay hands on them, the sick would be anointed, the lost would repent and come to Christ…the Spirit of God would have its way.
After the time of prayer (no one would look at their watch) we would share in Holy Communion together. Everyone would receive the grace of Christ’s broken body and shed blood…a tender, tender spirit of peace and hope would fall upon the congregation.
No one would want to leave, so we would sing and praise Jesus for another 30 minutes or so until we went to the fellowship hall and share a potluck dinner together. And the people would share each other’s company in the joy of the Holy Spirit…And no one would want to leave, or look at their watch, or worry about the score of the football game; because it was the Lord’s Day and they were in His house, with His people, touched by His Spirit.
Now wouldn’t that be great.