On the edge of our seats

(This past Sunday, I encouraged people to ask 5 people to commit to praying for them everyday, and also to offer to pray for the person you ask. I said I might ask the next Sunday if people followed through.)

One of the questions I’ve been receiving this week is, “Are you really going to have people stand up and admit whether or not they’ve asked 5 people to pray for them?”

I’ll interpret what I read between the lines in hearing this question,

“Are you going to ask ME stand up (or not because I haven’t asked 5 people) in front of everyone?”

“I don’t want to do this – it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Who made you the ultimate accountability partner?”

“I don’t like coming to church wondering if I am going to be uncomfortable.”

“I don’t like the feeling of not knowing what could happen on Sunday at church – what I may be asked to do.”

It’s such an interesting tension, isn’t it? Should our Sunday morning worship services be comfortable? Should they be a place we can come and not feel challenged to actually have to do anything that makes us uncomfortable? OR shouldn’t Sunday be a time where we are on the EDGE OF OUR SEATS anticipating God’s presence and conviction?

Should we think Sundays are like hopping in a hot, bubble bath where we are warm and cozy and all our cares seem to drift away?

Or should we anticipate that coming into the presence of God (in this unique, corporate way) will be overwhelmingly good but not comfortable or easy? Can you imagine Jesus saying to his disciples, “Now, is everyone comfortable with me and what I’m asking you to do?” I can’t.

If we expect God is going to ‘show up’ on Sundays and be God that means He is going to speak, convict, call, correct, and confront. He is going to reveal you – what is His about you and what you are still holding onto.

Imagine how God feels/thinks about us when we come looking for him to “fill us up” with love, peace, comfort, good feelings, etc. on Sunday mornings, but yet our lives outside of the church worship service are not acts of worship. We live for us, yet we expect a time of comfort and peace when we come to worship together. Hmmm. That just doesn’t add up. I have no question that God longs for every one of us to experience His assurance and peace. He wants us to trust Him completely that we are not alone, that He has plans, and that we can do that which is impossible because of Him. He wants every one of us to know that and experience that, but it means that we receive what He offers and use it for Him, for the building of His kingdom, for His glory. So when people look at us, they see how good God is.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. We are not going to evaluate our worship experiences by how uncomfortable we can make you feel. That’s not the point. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to do the convicting and challenging. But I hope Sundays is a time when you sit on the edge of your seat, because you believe God is there. He is God and he’s there! He is going to speak to you. (He doesn’t just do it on Sundays, but there is something unique about this weekly, “together” experience.) And if God is going to speak, if God is really going to be present in our lives, then we had best not think that it will be comfortable – we best be careful how we really evaluate what happens on Sunday mornings. Because God’s love for you is so great that He’s going to change you – not a comfortable prospect at all, but who God helps us become and how that blesses those around us is exceedingly more valuable than being comfortable. Because so often being comfortable in my life means staying the same and God loves us (me) way too much to let us (me) stay the same. He has so much more for us to experience and become. Let’s move out to the edge of our seat and anticipate (yes, with some fear) that God is going to move.