Yesterday morning we made use of an unexpected Sunday off and went to Queens Park Baptist for their morning service. Apart from the fact that this gave us an opportunity to meet up with some old friends I always enjoy seeing how different churches are doing things and thinking about what I can learn from them.
The service at QP began with quite a bit of congregational singing and was followed up by a lengthy (yet strangely enjoyable) time of notices! There was then a bit of a talk/interactive time about why we worship. I liked the idea of trying to get people involved (several roving microphones were being used at this point) although the uptake didn't seem great. Perhaps that was the question, "What good thing has happened this week that you are worshipping God for this morning?" (I may paraphrase slightly, but this seemed to me to be the essence of the question.) The problem, as I saw it, was that I didn't really want to be worshipping God this morning if my week was the measuring stick by which I decided to worship: I'd had a pretty average week and was feeling quite low. But I did want to be worshipping God: because of who He is. I was slightly worried that this route, albeit continued further down - I don't think this that is where we as a congregation were at yesterday morning, could leave a person thinking that we worship God because of us. In fact, do we not worship God because of who He is? Anyway, a good idea in need of work - but aren't they all?!
After that the children and young people went out and we sang some more before a sermon looking at servant leadership. The singing involved some 'free' singing time, which we're used to from our old church, but which sometimes seems a bit awkward (although it didn't yesterday) and might be much harder for folk who aren't at all used to that sort of thing. The sermon was good, solid teaching: a timely reminder of some things to learn (and not learn) from different examples within scripture - Jesus (good!) and the Pharisees (bad!). The prayer time before the sermon was very moving (to tears for me) as we remembered that Jesus calls us to come to Him and cast our burdens and anxieties on His shoulders: I know this is true, but in all honesty am not particularly feeling it at the moment, probably because I'm not doing it - hence the tears, I guess.
The service ended with a time of prayer and more sung worship. Overall, it really was good to be there, and it was a great encouragement to see so many young people and families mixed in with the older members. The congregation as a whole seem to be genuinely excited by what God is doing and wants to do - something which was expressed both in how they worship but also the posters that are up around the place with pictures of the city and words relating to the congregations desire to serve and 'touch' it.
Our time was nicely finished off with an invite to the toddlers Christmas party so we ended our Glasgow trip with party hats, cocktail sausages and cake before heading back down the road to the delights of still-no-kitchen and a fish supper for tea!!!
Will be rehearsing Messiah tomorrow night, it's so easy to sing that His yoke is easy and His burden is light but like so many other things in our lives it can be hard to surrender them and lean on Him. Is the first step the hardest or the last - we'll probably never really know and never really get there in this world, I'm sure that I won't for sure - or does that just show how unwilling I am to let go.
Posted by: Lis | December 06, 2010 at 10:27 PM