September 17- The way of the cross

Worship on this evening was either trapped in one direction or let go to be freed in the only direction that the Spirit could take it. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE LATTER. There are times when I an others who are a part of the worship plannin team believe that something that we are doing may be too challenging for many people who are either saplings in their walk with Christ or are either so steadfast in their traditions that something something different like art, hard sayings, and imagination are not welcomed. Yet, this evening, conveyed that the disciples who grace the church with their presence, who yearn to be connected with the Living Christ, will take the hard stuff and say give me more. The music sang to How great is our God in the light of Jesus Christ who calls us to die to ourselves- not really that popular for the American culture that defines much of who we are. Then one of our most dedicated members who does our set up boldly got up, even though she hates publiicly speaking, and spoke from the heart about her experience in working with mentally disabled children. And all of this pointed to the way of the cross from Mark 9:30-37. No one person on the worship planning is trying to be the greatest- each of us is striving to be faithful and I think that was the upshot of what God wanted us to understand this evening. Throughout the Mark passage Jesus tries to explain that when we follow the way of the cross we are approaching death in order to have life; that in order to be first we consider ourselves last; that in order to be like Jesus we become a servant not a ruler. This Christian spirituality is peculiar and bizarre because, again, it is a call to buck the prevailing cultural norms of self-obsession. We are called to serve the least no to cater to the greatest. A hard sell indeed. Make no mistake- Jesus was no marketing guru. He is Lord and Savior who demands faithfulness that is never seen as popular or self- centered.