At 8:32 am PST, on Sunday March 26, 2000, Seattle's mighty Kingdome stadium
came crashing down in less than twenty seconds. A cloud of dust encompassed the
area and when the dust had settled, all that was left of this mighty structure
was a relatively small pile of rubble. After church, I took my camera and went
down and took some pictures. I was completely amazed at just how well the
implosion worked. It came straight down, nothing seemed to fall far beyond the
original walls. All those many millions of tons of concrete of this huge barn
were reduced to rubble by four thousand pounds of dynamite.
Later that same day, we, and as far as I have experienced, every other
Protestant church held communion. Why it has become part of our liturgy to hold
communion the last Sunday of the month is fascinating. It's sort of like
saying, "Well, Lord we got the important things of the church done the
first three weeks of the month, so we will give you a few minutes at the end of
the service today to come to your table." Why not the first Sunday of the
month? Or every week? That examination is well beyond this analysis, other than
to say, perhaps it is indicative of our historic American religion. During
communion, some time and in various ways, each pastor invoked the words of Paul
in 1st Corinthians 11:
For I received from the Lord that which I
also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was
betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for
you; do this in remembrance of Me."
In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This
do, as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
With the conclusion of these words of institution, some plastic cups, cheap
wine, or Welch's, a wide variety of bread, wafers, and crackers, the
communicate body of Christ reenters society. A Benediction, Doxology and
perhaps a closing hymn and we are finally on our way. Amen!
"On Christ the solid rock I stand, all
other ground is sinking sand."
When is the last time we truly examined what follows this Biblical context
from Paul:
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks
this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood
of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and
drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and
drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason
many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge
ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by
the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)
Notice the conditional context. Our context, across denominational lines and
within the lineage of our own sect is something like. "I'm cool, we're
cool, Jesus is cool. Amen!" But if we were truly to examine ourselves
would our church really turn out like the Kingdome on this beautiful March
morning. A big bang, a cloud of dust, and a small pile of rubble.
True examination leads to repentance. That does not mean some liturgical
ritual of repentance, for we are all so capable of creating an artificial idol
that justifies our own self imputed, ourselves holiness. True repentance must
come from, that we have been with, or through our eyes of faith have glimpsed
the risen Lord. With out an understanding of our own wretched life, which only
comes through Christ, we are incapable of judging our unworthiness, therefore
He judges us instead.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy
manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we
would judge yourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are
chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
So you really did dose off in the Sunday service, and you are the pastor.
Part of our problem is we really think it is all about us. "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other
ground is sinking sand," is really mostly about me, my time, my
place. True communion within the body of Christ should be something like,
"In Christ, the solid mountain we stand, all other ground is just
that." It doesn't rhyme, but when the earthquake comes and all earth turns
to jello, or when the devil sets off his charges, we truly see how well our
personal kingdome stands. It should be reassuring to know that if it is filled
with the solid rock of Christ and His New Covenant people, gathered from every
tribe and nation, from the Garden of Eden to the new creation garden, the
eternal Jerusalem, our house will stand. We are not alone. We are part of an
adopted eternal family, an eternal community of all who are in Christ, the King
who doesn't need a stadium.
The American religion based upon the conversion experience does not tend to
develop an understanding of the cooperative maturation that is required to
become one with Christ. It is like we want to be married, we try to be content
and just have the ring, the friendship, the house, the sex and the rest, but we
are unable to accomplish real tough work of a true Godly marriage. We are
unequally yoked with an unbelieving world. It is in that context many of us
easily get married to the world, but one day Christ knocks and demands a
divorce, even though we cannot see a way, for we missed all the easy doors, or
walked through the wrong one. Without that divorce however, we truly cannot
understand the true nature of Christ's everlasting love for us and for His bride.
We cannot be what God is calling us to be, we are perhaps frustrated, confused
and yes, even hurt. For we do not understand.
I have been there done, that. Even in reflection it seems a real weird way
to run a church. I did the best, from a religious perspective, I knew how to
do, and it still turned into cloud of dust (to use a correct four letter word)
as my kingdom fell. To help others, who were nearly as stupid, or simple as I,
really doesn't cut it, either. There is something in that communion with Christ,
that I can only get in context with this whole body/church issue and I can not
do it on my own, because it is totally bigger than my shallow understanding can
now see.
The first step is the same as practiced in revivalism. That is repentance,
individually and corporately. To judge ourselves lest we be judged. Only then
can we begin to experience the healing of ourselves, and of others. In that
context the weak and sick among us , and many sluggards can awaken to a new
restoration of the church based upon our everlasting communion with the King of
Kings and the Lord of Lords. That is a Kingdome that will not last just a
quarter of a century and then be destroyed. That is an everlasting Kingdom in
which all of God's people will cheer with everlasting joy and truly understand
the concept of God's love for His new covenant people. Repentance is a
continual stepping process as we walk on with Christ, learning that our worry
of divorce from the world, was really almost stupid compared to the natural and
supernatural gifts God has prepared for His children.
Last week, especially Wednesday and Thursday were very difficult. Even
though I worked very hard at trying to make things work, they only worked out
wrong. Friday was better, and right now it seems as if everything is back on
track Now, it is just time to see when the next train is scheduled, but now one
seems to know. Please continue to pray for personnel and finances, especially
in the long term, as well as the proper understanding of the timing required to
complete our move.
Bread of the world in mercy broken, Wine of
the soul in mercy shed,
By whom words of life were spoken and in whose death our sins are dead.
Look on our heart by sorrow broken, Look on
tears by sinner shed;
And be this feast to us a token That by they grace our souls are fed. Amen
Reginald Heber, 1783-1826
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