The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Last weekend I ran in the Bozeman Classic race, a 5K run that is part of the Sweet Pea Festival festivities in Bozeman.

As I ran, there were two impulses I had to keep in balance. The first impulse was to keep up with the people around me, ignoring my level of training and common sense. The second impulse was to ignore the people around me and maintain my own internal pace. Neither impulse by itself will help me run a good race, but both are necessary. The same is true in the race called life.

I could go through life trying to run at someone else’s pace. That may not be the best pace for me. It may not fit my talents or season of life. I could burn out too fast or not reach my full potential. Similarly, I could go through life completely oblivious to those around me. I would be true to myself, unconcerned about what they are doing or what they think of me. In this case, I risk heading off in a wrong direction or simply not learning from those around me.

God has a path set out for me. No one else’s path is exactly the same as mine. If I am too concerned about being like Jane or John or Jan, I will miss my calling. As the apostle Peter and Jesus were discussing Peter’s future, Peter asked, “What about [John]?” Jesus replied that that was none of Peter’s business. Peter had his own path to follow. (John 21:21-22) I have my path to follow. But if I set out on that path alone, I will miss out on the encouragement and example of others around me. God has placed a “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) around me to spur me on to go beyond what I think I am capable of doing. I thank God for those who run alongside me through life.

As I ran, there were times when I let those around me spur me on to pick up my pace and do more than I thought I could do. There were other times when I stayed firmly in my own pace. Keeping that balance paid off. I finished 9th in my age group (no, I’m not going to tell you which bracket that is) and made my goal of under 27 minutes with a 26:40 time. God grant that I keep that same balance in life.

I’ve been reading the book ChurchNext by Eddie Gibbs. Our church librarian needed someone to vet it before putting it on the shelves. Here are some quotations from chapter 6 which deal with worship.

“In true worship God is the audience, and the congregation are the participants. Worship is the wellspring of our witness.”

“People are not looking so much for worship that is relevant as they are for worship that is real.”

“Real” worship is worship where people are engaged with the Living God, proclaiming His greatness & responding to His goodness. It is the outpouring of an intimate relationship with God extends through the week. The reality of that relationship shines through and attracts others to God. Such worship is neither going through the motions nor manufacturing emotions. “Relevant” worship is worship that is more concerned with how people will respond to the worship service than with how they are responding to God. It may be a good show but it has no depth. Like a piece of candy, it is enjoyable at the time and gives you a quick sugar rush, but there is no nutrition to fuel you through the day.

“God graciously approaches humankind along a variety of paths to meet us in our varied cultural settings. Worship is always contextualized so that no one style should be regarded as normative or more spiritual than another. What turns on some people is likely to put off others.”

“Worship leaders are not performers attracting the admiration of the onlookers but prompters who model the act of worship. In order to function authentically in this role they must prioritize worship as the highest form of service to God. … To return to our sports fan analogy, the players on the field so involve the crowds in the stands that the ‘field of play’ extends to include all present.”

We can’t simply be passive observers of a worship service, even if it is not interactive. In a sporting event, the “spectators” are actively engaged in the game, even if they are not running around the field getting sweaty. I hadn’t thought of things that way. Special music or listening to a sermon should be no less passive than congregational singing.