ࡱ> UWT @ 1bjbjFF 'D,,)HHH8$$Q"$RY " 4?HR!0Qj((  Presence When Present Psalm 84 Passionate Worship: Second of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations Sunday, September 21, 2008 Rev. J. Douglas Paterson Cindy Radecki sent me an email this week of a story about a letter to the editor on Why Go to Church? You may have seen this before. I think it is one of those stories that get around the Internet. Evidently a churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. Ive gone for 30 years now, he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I cant remember a single one of them. So, I think Im wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all. Well I thought that would be a great quote to begin our time this week as we consider the second of Bishop Robert Schnases, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations from his book by the same name. The five practices being Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity. Last week we talked about Radical Hospitality. This week we consider, as you saw in the clip by our Divine Light Media class, how we experience the presence of God. Or more specifically, Passionate Worship. We have also talked about the fun part of Schnases five practices: the adjectives he uses Radical Hospitality, Passionate worship. Now when you think about Passionate Worship, your mind might take you to all sorts of places. One might think of the ancient fertility cults, like worshiping Baal where there were temple prostitutes, people engaging in sex as an enactment of the fruitfulness of nature. Their hope was that their reenactment might influence the god that would bless them with bountiful harvest. That certainly is one type of passion. Or we might think of some forms of Pentecostal worship where there might be shouting and fainting, where the whole being becomes part of the worship. One of the questions we might ask: If people were observing us, would they consider our worship passionate? Now I had just described Pentecostal worship in a pretty narrow and stereotypical manner. If others were to do that about us, I am afraid the stereotypical understanding is that old mainline protestant worship is pretty staid, rigid, and boring. Is that who we are? Is there any passion in what we do? I guess one needs to define what passionate means. So when I controlled-clicked on passionate in my Microsoft Word document, the electronic document dictionary brought up these five definitions: 1. Expressing or showing strong sexual desire (not really what I want to experience in worship) 2. Easily made angry (I think sometimes we achieve this in worship, although it is not my intent and certainly not a goal for worship) 3. Expressing intense or overpowering emotion (I think we are getting closer, and perhaps this fits with our stereotype of Pentecostal worship, but I dont want be controlled by my emotions alone) 4. Tending to have strong feelings, especially of love, desire, or enthusiasm (I could live with this definition of passion as relates to worship, although for me, strong feelings has the same connotation, perhaps to a lesser degree, as overpowering emotion.) 5. Having a keen enthusiasm or intense desire for something (This, I think, can work very nicely as a definition for passionate when we talk about passionate worship.) It is exactly what we hear about in our Scripture lesson this morning from Psalm 84: How lovely is your dwelling place, God. My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord (meaning temple substitute church). My soul longs, indeed it faints for church. Now thats every pastors dream parishioner. And it gets better because the Psalm goes on to say: it is better to live a day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere and it is better to be a doorkeeper in your courts than to live in the tents of the wicked. Reverend Daniel Hilty from First United Methodist Church in Jefferson City makes this comment in a sermon: The person who writes the Psalm loves church so much, in fact, that you cant help but wonder whats wrong with this person. I mean, its great to be in the habit of coming to church, and seeing friends, and singing the songs, but to say that your soul faints because youre away from church that its better to spend one day there than a thousand elsewherethats kind of extreme, dont you think? I dont know anybody who would willingly trade off three years of life so that they could spend one more day at churchdo you? Maybe if there was a potluck dinner afterwards, but even then. Why would the person who wrote Psalm 84 say something like that? Well, if we were honest with ourselves, I think it is important to point out that it isnt just temple or church for which the author of Psalm 84 longs. No, what the person who wrote the Psalm is really longing for is the God whom he expects to find there. The psalmist longs for the courts of the Lord, longs for the temple, longs for church because he is filled with the great expectancy that when there, so will be the presence of the Lord. When Schnase writes about passionate worship he talks about the necessity of staff and clergy and volunteers like ushers and greeters to be intentional about putting in the kind of time and effort to make worship available, presentable, and meaningful. After all, this is the face most often seen by the community we serve. This is where people will get their first impression of who we are and what we are about. As Schnase says, Worship breathes life into the community of Christs followers, forms identity, and provides a place of common learning about faith and listening to God. People express love for God, serve God, and experience Gods gracious love. Through worship, God pardons sins, restores relationships, and changes lives. (Pg. 35) Worship is the reason given in Exodus 8:1 as to why God liberated the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. Let my people go, so that they may worship me. And every churchgoer who hears this is saying, Yes! Yes! We long for that kind of passionate worship that can set us free, that will breath into us a sense of love, faithfulness, and community. Provide for us that kind of passionate worship. And here is the sad news. That kind of worship cant be provided for you. You have to bring it. Yes the clergy and the staff and the musicians and the choirs will work hard to provide the framework on which to build our gathering we call worship. But to make it passionate to make it life changing, to make it a time when Gods grace and healing and comfort and forgiveness are evident requires that each of us comes with the same kind of prayerful expectancy as did the psalmist, that when you come and make yourself intentionally present before God, then the presence of God will be evident. Are you making yourself available to be transformed by the presence of God, or are you shoehorning this hour into your schedule as the perfunctory requirement of your faith? The answer to that may be the difference between passionate worship and boring worship boring both for you and for God. When I was a District Superintendent I got complaints about this one pastor being an extremely boring preacher. So I went to hear him a few times. What I discovered is that it was some of the best stuff Ive heard. The problem for those who were complaining is that it wasnt showy. It wasnt glitzy. You had to do the work of listening; his style wasnt going to make it easy for you. But when one did do the work of listening, when one came with the expectancy that Gods presence was going to fill that sanctuary, it was some of the best preaching Ive heard. Hilty asked his congregation, Why not expect God to show up right here in church, and to receive what love we offer, and to move among us and change us so that we can love God and our neighbors more perfectly, more deeply, more passionately? Why not come to worship with a high sense of anticipation, and expectation, and hope? Kind of like how we might approach things if were expecting a really important guest in our home. Prepare for worship with the same kind of grand expectancy that you might if you were preparing to have your favorite actor over for dinner. And so the challenge that Rev. Daniel Hilty left with his congregation I leave with you: Throughout the remainder of this year, and hopefully beyond, but over the next three months prepare for worship by praying I know some of you do that already. Between now and the end of the year, the invitation is to pray before you leave home, or in the car or bus or while walking to church, or in your pew before church starts pray first and foremost that the worship we offer be a fitting and acceptable expression of love to God that the worship first and foremost be about God, and about Christ but then to pray as well that all of us in attendance might encounter the living God moving among us especially those who may be hurting or feeling lost, or hungry and thirsting for something spiritual to happen in their lives. Over the next few months, as we prepare for worship each week, let us as a church pray for high expectations that God shows up, and receives our love, and lovingly changes us in return. You remember that letter to the editor? What a waste of time it was to go to church after all these years since he didnt remember any of the specifics of the sermons. There was a reply in the paper that said this: Ive been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today! Friends, we might never get to the point that wed willingly exchange a thousand days elsewhere for one day in church. However, we might just discover that this time we intentionally and expectantly spend with God is no waste at all, but a time when we have allowed God to continually create in us a being of Gods making. I pray it will be true in your life and in mine. PAGE  PRESENCE WHEN PRESENT Sunday, September 21, 2008, Rev. J. Douglas Paterson First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor Page  PAGE 4 !;klt ' v w   r s 9 X k j k    6U=^ KhKhm6>*h hKhmhKhm\_H  h\_H hhi\_H  hi\_H hih)7hi6 hi6hhm5CJ\_H aJh5CJ\_H aJ=!li j ' ( QRKLz8g$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ hgdh`hgd$a$gdi$a$gdm11KLz{8ghPQ IJMO9>q +[z K Z !/!H!u!! 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Douglas Paterson Adele RoyOh+'07   < H T `lt|Why go to ChurchJ. Douglas PatersonNormal Adele Roy4Microsoft Word 10.0@캃@Ԃ@c<@?"GH6VT$m   ."Systemw 0Ч -@Times New Roman-  2 .qM;+2 .Presence When PresentG44-4A44u@4AG34.4A& 2 .@ M; 2 .{  M>2  Psalm 84G.:!`;; 2   M>@Times New Roman-&2 (Passionate Worship=2''222,Q2''222 (: !2 (VSecond3,-222S2 (x0 of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations22,=,,='2,,,(2='22C222',2221'@Times New Roman- 2 ( M- 2 SM82 undayd222-0 2 ,M 2  M&2  September 21, 20088,2,N2-!223222 2 6  M-/2 Rev. J. Douglas PatersonC,2(H221,'8,,!'23 2   M- 2  M-2 \Cindy Radecki sent me an email this week of a story about a letter to the editor on Why Go C230C,2,,2',2N,-2,N,2'H,,22!,'3"0,222,,,!22,,32!22,_30H22 gX to Church?2C22!,2.,:2 g? You may have seen this before. H22N-/3-2,',,22'2,!3!,M2 gC , I think it is one of those stories that get 232'22,2!22','2!,'2,1,2 gr  around the ,!22222,2 X Internet.h 2-!2, 2  M. 2 M M-2  Evidently a =22,20, 2 cM,2 Mhurchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it 22!,313,!H!2,,,-!22,,22!2!,2-H'2,2-!,22,3N2,2,22,M2 3X,made no sense to go to church every Sunday. N,2,22',2',2122-22!,2,2-#08222.0 2 3 M. 2 3 IM 2 3 M!12 3 ve gone for 30 years now,e3,123,!2!220-,!'23H 2 3 M,2 3+  he wrote, 2,H!2, 2 3M,2 3and in 4,222X2 X3that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons2,N,2,3,2-,!2'3N,2212,2222',!N32':2  . But for the life of me, I can B2!2!2,!,3!N,,,2 2 M!2 ! t remember a ",N,N2-!,=2 X!single one of them. So, I think Ie'21,22,3!2,N82222 2 LM!j2 m?m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving NI,'21P0N,,222,2,'2!',!,H,(212,!'401221"2 Xsermons at all.',!N22',, 2 M, 2  M 2  M. 2  M-2 r ZWell I thought that would be a great quote to begin our time this week as we consider the _,222122,H2222,,1!-,222,22-1222!N,2'H,,2,'I,,22'2,!2,2 Xseconn',,22w2 ;Hd of Bishop Robert Schnases, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations f22!B'222C22,!8,22,',!'72,8!,,-,(2!7!2!2C231!-2,22'!#2 rom his book by !2N2'222230"2 X Xthe same name. 2,',N,2,N,2 X NThe five practices being Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional =3,!2,2!,,,,'3,31C,2,,H2'2,/8,''22,,_2!'222,222,.2 XFaith Development, Riskn7,2H,3,22N,2C'2 2 C-M!12 dtaking Mission and Servic ,221Y''22,228,!3,22 { e, and Extravagant Generos,,22=3!,2-1,2I,3,!2'2 ity. n02 h Last week we <-'H,,2H,2 > Xtalked,2,252 > L about Radical Hospitality. ,222C,2,,H2(2,/e2 > <This week we consider, as you saw in the clip by our Divine =2'I,,2I,,32'2,!,'022',H22,,23022!H22,42 XLight Media class, how we e <12Y,2,,,''22HH,,:2 xperience the presence of God. 32,!,2-,2,2",',3,,2!H22=2 !Or more specifically, Passionate eH!N2!,'3,,!,,08,''22,,2 $ XWorship._2!'22 2 $  M, 2  M--L2 +We have also talked about the fun part of S_,2,2,,'2,2,2,2322,!222,!2!8.2 chnases five practicesn,22,(,!'!2,2",,-,' 2 8 :M/2 T  the adjectives he uses 2,,2,,2,'2,2',' 2 M2 2  M-2 } XRadical.=22,2- @ !7 X-- 2 }  Hospitality, H2'2,0-2 }  Passionate=2''222,- @ ! --2 } M  worship. 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That certainly is one type of passion.H2222,''2,NH22222!22,!2,'=2,-,",20'22,02,2!3,''22 2 I M- 2  M- 2 /OMH2 /6Xr we might think of some forms of Pentecostal worship where there might be shouting and !H,N122222!'2N,!2!N'2!8,2,,2',H2!'22H2,",2,!,N222,'22221,22e2 X<fainting, where the whole being becomes part of the worship.!,221H3,!,3,H22-2,213,,2N,'2-!2!3,H2!'22 2   M. 2  M-=2 !One of the questions we might askeH2,2!2,23,'22'H,N12,'2 2 U:M 2 q M 2 IM I2 )f people were observing us, would they co !2,22,H-!-22',!2212'H2222-0,22 I nsider our 2'2-!22!&2 Xworship passionateH2!'222,''22,,2 S? .d2 ;Now I had just described Pentecostal worship in a pretty na.H1H 2,22'2,',!3,28-2,,2',H2!'222,2",02-2  rrow and r!!2H,22,2 nXstereotypical manner. ',!,202,,N,23,!n2 nBIf others were to do that about us, I am afraid the stereotypical !22,!'H,",2222,,3222',N,!",22,'-!,202,,}2 XLunderstanding is that old mainline protestant worship is pretty staid, rigid222,!',2231'2,22N,22,2!2,',2H2!(22'2!,0',2!12,2  , and boring. Is that ,2222!31 '2,2 TX who we are?H22H,-!,.A2 TR$ Is there any passion in what we do?'2,!,,402,''222H2,H,22. 2 T  M, 2  M-U2 :1I guess one needs to define what passionate means 13,''22,2-,2'22,!2,H2,2,''22,,O,,3' 2 : .M,2 :  So when I controlled82H2,2,,22!2,3 2 :v-M"2 : clicked on ,,2,2,22(2 Xpassionate in my l,2,''22,,,2P02 i Microsoft Y,"2'2!(2  Word document, the l_2!222,2N,22,2 Y electronic,,,!22,;2   document dictionary brought up 22,2N,22,22,#02!231222.2 Xthese five definitions:2,',!2,2-!222' 2  M- 2 X M-'2 X1.2 2  MK2 Expr=32!D2 &essing or showing strong sexual desire,''212!'22H31'!221(,32,2,'!, 2   M.'- 2 y MU2 y1(not really what I want to experience in worship) 22',2,C22!C222,,2,',3,,2C2''22 2 y+  M5-2 X2.2 2  MK&2 Easily made angry =,'0N,3,,31#0 2  M.'- 2 _ M2 _P(I think sometimes we achieve this in worship, although it is not my intent and !!22,'2H,H,'C,3-2,,,2'2C2''22222222'22H,2,2222 2 _ MK 2 X M,=2 !certainly not a goal for worship)e,,'22,2222222'B2''22 2  M5-                    ՜.+,0 hp  FUMC Ann ArborJ( Why go to Church Title  !"$%&'()*+,-.0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSVRoot Entry F~?X1Table#WordDocument'DSummaryInformation(/ 8DocumentSummaryInformation8LCompObjj  FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q