DESIRING COMMUNION (44 OF 49)
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-14
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Desiring Communion (44 of 49)
Lectionary, Year C, Advent1
Christopher B. Harbin
1 Thessalonians 3:9-14
Church talk often gets us to the wrong place. We move to speculative theology, of pitting opinions against each other, of pushing pet ideas, preferences, or ambitions on others. We wrap that all in spiritual talk, giving it a divine varnish, when it's just the way we interact in any social group. It's why it is so easy to devolve into issues of generational or culture wars that have nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus. At some point, we need a reminder to heed Rodney King's famous question, ''Can't we all just get along?'' That is not the end-all-be-all of Christianity, but it calls us close. How much of our Christian living is wrapped around the notion of desiring communion or fellowship with one another?
I like to think the sermon is the most important part of a church gathering. It's what I was taught to believe growing up. It's what I was directed to believe along the course of my seminary training. It's why I spent a lot of time and energy preparing seminary and extension program students to preach in local churches. It is why I decided back during my college days not to pursue a music degree, despite how much I enjoyed music, singing, and directing. I did not want to hear people tell me how beautiful my rendition of a song was, I wanted them to hear the message in that song.
On the other hand, I decided to focus on preaching and teaching while serving as a minister of music. Sure, I found plenty of ways to direct my choirs to give importance to the message of the songs we sang. Sure, I recognized how important music was to the whole experience of participation in church. I was well aware that in my own journey I had planned to choose a church on the basis of its music program. I figured I was headed to the mission field and my chance to really enjoy a good quality church music program was during my schooling years. I also found out pretty qu ...
Lectionary, Year C, Advent1
Christopher B. Harbin
1 Thessalonians 3:9-14
Church talk often gets us to the wrong place. We move to speculative theology, of pitting opinions against each other, of pushing pet ideas, preferences, or ambitions on others. We wrap that all in spiritual talk, giving it a divine varnish, when it's just the way we interact in any social group. It's why it is so easy to devolve into issues of generational or culture wars that have nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus. At some point, we need a reminder to heed Rodney King's famous question, ''Can't we all just get along?'' That is not the end-all-be-all of Christianity, but it calls us close. How much of our Christian living is wrapped around the notion of desiring communion or fellowship with one another?
I like to think the sermon is the most important part of a church gathering. It's what I was taught to believe growing up. It's what I was directed to believe along the course of my seminary training. It's why I spent a lot of time and energy preparing seminary and extension program students to preach in local churches. It is why I decided back during my college days not to pursue a music degree, despite how much I enjoyed music, singing, and directing. I did not want to hear people tell me how beautiful my rendition of a song was, I wanted them to hear the message in that song.
On the other hand, I decided to focus on preaching and teaching while serving as a minister of music. Sure, I found plenty of ways to direct my choirs to give importance to the message of the songs we sang. Sure, I recognized how important music was to the whole experience of participation in church. I was well aware that in my own journey I had planned to choose a church on the basis of its music program. I figured I was headed to the mission field and my chance to really enjoy a good quality church music program was during my schooling years. I also found out pretty qu ...
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