"More Perfect" & A Daily Routine

Fifty-2 Sunday's Listening for God

     The church I was sitting in last Sunday was a beautiful cathedral like structure that sits high on a hill overlooking the surrounding area.  The choir sang beautifully, the clergy were attired in their robes and the people attending were dressed up more than folks generally do these days for church.  I had to follow the program guide to be sure I was standing, kneeling, responding, praying and singing on cue.  There were intentional connections and references made between the Old and New Testament covenants and an explanation of the meaning in the context of worship. 

     This is different from the sort of church I have been a member of most my Christian life.  In many ways, I found it (and other services like it) to be too formal, too rigid and too dependent on a programed routine.  However, in other ways, I found it to be uplifting.  It has never been my intent in the writing of these blogs to provide a value judgement on the worship style or routines of any particular church I attend, rather it is my desire to listen for how God is at work in his body independent of the many and varied styles of worship. 

     The sermon was less eloquent and subtle than I expected.  The scripture text was Hebrews 9:1-5:

"Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.  A tabernacle was set up.  In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place.  Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered Ark of the Covenant.  This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now." (NIV)

     The minister discussed (in an abridged format) how the Old Testament tabernacle and its items were descriptive of the new covenant in Christ.  He briefly ran through a explanation of the parallels between the two.  Perhaps because it was the abridged version I could not get into it, or maybe it was because I was distracted with a partial verse of scripture that his sermon brought to mind, "more perfect".  As it turns out my mind (and my spirit) were a few verses ahead of the text used for the sermon; I was thinking of Hebrews 9:11-15; 

"But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.  He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.  The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”  (NIV)  Amen!

     I am so grateful for the "more perfect" tabernacle - in that I do not have to live from year to year looking to animal sacrifices to cleanse me of my sins and grant me a 'right' relationship with God - Jesus did this "once for all" - for all who will come to him in faith!  Amen.

     Back to the sermon for a moment, what I found most edifying was the personal daily routine of the minister that he shared with us.  Every morning he starts with focusing on the cross Christ died on and the meaning of it for him personally.  He then asks God to reveal his sins to him - so that he can repent of them and ask for forgiveness.  After that he spends time in God's word and re-reads the scriptures several times, because he said he can never 'hear' them the first or second time through, he waits until he 'hears' before moving on.  The last thing he does is pray.  These four things: focus on the cross; ask God to reveal one's sin(s) and ask for forgiveness; soak in the Word and pray make for a good daily routine for our spirit.