40 Days of Embracing Uncertainty - Day 33 (for Friday, April 3)

I can't help but reflect upon what worship will be like during this upcoming week.  Normally, this is the most important worship week of the entire year.  It starts with Palm Sunday, moves through Holy Thursday and Good Friday and ends (or begins) with Easter Sunday.  It can be a very moving time for the follower of Jesus.  We experience the euphoria around the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the roller coaster of emotions begins.  Holy Week will do that for you.  

But in these pandemic times, what might we expect our worship experience to be like?  Some churches are thinking about doing a drive in worship service on Easter Sunday.  It doesn't sound like a bad idea - have people drive up in their cars, pipe the music in let everyone sing Easter songs and the like.  All from your motor vehicle.  I don't believe that idea would work at First, Emmanuel or Adrian because we don't have a parking lot.  People would be scattered up and down the street.  It might be a tough thing to pull off.  

Others are thinking about what they might do to make their recorded message or live stream service to be more special.  I'm not certain what that might mean.  We are limited with respect to providing special effects and the like (it's important to remember that our video production budget is the same as when we started this live stream worship - zero dollars!)  

Maybe the point is this: we don't need to be entertained when we gather to worship - whether we congregate in our homes, our churches (eventually) or out in God's creation.  Perhaps that was the issue for Jesus' anger in the temple.  It seemed as through the money-changers and the people were not plugged in to the reason for the temple's existence: to glorify God.  It wasn't to purchase animal sacrifices at over-inflated prices so the vendors could profit at the expense of the people.  It wasn't a place where people's primary focus was on making sure they were seen at the temple.  It was simply a place to come and offer heartfelt praise to God.

It isn't going to make any difference where you are on Palm Sunday or any day this week.  It only matters what is in your heart.  Friends, this is still a very important time of year for worship.  But, frankly speaking, our true worship isn't really found in the live stream message or drive up piped in music or even in gimmicky entertaining videos.  It will always be what is found in our heart, no matter where we are.  

A heart that was meant to glorify and praise God.  Period.