Ding Ding. And come Out Singing....

Sometimes I sit in church and look around at the people. I just watch who comes in and sits down and who comes in, leaves their coats down and goes out again. I see young parents preoccupied with their children and choir singers and musicians fussing over their music and instruments. What they all have in common though is that they are all looking around for some friends, family and acquaintances so as to acknowledge them and wave to them.

I do not know the people well enough in this church to see who does not like who. I’m sure there are some like that. But I’m not looking for those scenarios.

I remember at another church I attended a very good friend of mine, Frank was his name, came in with his family and sat in the row directly in front of us. We all smiled and greeted each other and then Frank, with a twinkle in his eye, asked his wife to swop seats with him. His wife looked up at him curiously and asked, “Why?”

Frank replied, “Because when the Pastor asks us all to stand up, turn around and shake someone’s hand I’ve got to shake hands with him.” And he pointed at me. His wife and daughter looked at me and burst out laughing. He still made her swop seats though.  During the singing of the first hymn I swopped seats with my friend so as to be sitting behind Frank. Just to wind him up.

Friendly banter like this always made the church services a far better place for all of us.

However. That same church had its wee groups and cliques that really didn’t like each other. Fair enough. The church was sizeable enough to accommodate this groups and they stayed apart.

I’m sure the same scenario exists in my current church. But honestly, I don’t know anyone well enough to get involved their relationships. Our Sunday services are meant to be for us to present ourselves to God in worship and adoration to Him. But our church wouldn’t be normal if we were to pretend or to presume that disagreements didn’t exist. We are all only human. As has been said before – The best of men are still just men at best.

An old uncle of mine, who has since gone on to Glory, told me a funny story about a time he was leading a Christian service. He and some friends used to go to an old folks retirement home and hold a small service for the residents every Sunday afternoon. On a particular Sunday they had preached on a Bible reading and were finishing off with a closing hymn. The hymn was “What A Friend We have In Jesus”. And when it came to that particular line “Though my friends despise, forsake me” one particular woman used to screw up her face and point at several other residents as she shouted out the words. He knew the people involved and just laughed out loud at their antics.

My uncle was right. Laugh it off.

Frank was right too. Laugh it off.

Too often we get uptight about something that someone else has said or done. And this is not unique to the Church. It happens everywhere. Families. Schools. Workplaces. Social gatherings. Public life.

But the Congregation of God should be different. For we have the Holy Spirit binding us together.

The Gospel of John records Jesus as saying…

John ch13 (34)A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, so you also love one another. (35)By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
We, as Christians, need to stop bickering on each other and start to realise that we each are a unique work in Christ. We are all His creation. And we are all going through His process of renewal. I love that little cliché that says, “Please don’t judge me. God hasn’t finished with me yet”.

But it could be argued that the reason we allow this bickering to continue is because we have forgotten who the real enemy actually is. - The Accuser. It is he who actually causes division and dissension.

You see. God has appointed him to be the “The Accuser Of The Brethren”. Revelations 12:10 says…

Revelations ch12:(10)Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren,
who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

It’s not me. And it’s not you. It’s the devil.

And since the devil is the accuser, when we start bickering with each other and accusing each other,  we’re doing his work for him. We’re doing the devil out of a job. Incidentally, do you notice in that verse from Revelations that the term “accused” is past tense?

So. Let’s not worry about the petty things in each other’s lives. Care for each other. Love one another. And if we can’t love one another then atleast let’s respect each other.

I’m a new creation. I’m a brand to man.
Old things have passed away. I’ve been born again.
More than a conquerer. That’s who I am.
I’m a new creation. I’m a brand to man.

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