I recently listened through a series of
conference talks by Doug Wilson on "The Fooleries of Preaching."
There were 4 talks total and after the last one there was a brief Q & A
session (click HERE)
In response to a question about private
consumption of sermons via YouTube, Vimeo, Podcast, etc… versus corporate
participation in breathing the same air as the preacher, Pastor Wilson, made
reference to Psalm 87:2.
Psalm 87:2
The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than
all the dwelling places of Jacob.
God loves the communal gathering of His
people MORE than the individual, private times of devotion. This isn't at all
to poo poo private, devotional seeking of the Lord, but rather to emphasize
that corporate worship is loved MORE by God than private. I think we assume the
opposite. We find this Word from the Lord surprising. We would have expected it
to be the other way around. Clearly the collected gathering is strengthened by
the integrity of its individual member's private commitment and faith, but
there is something peculiar and particular about meeting together as a body
that brings delight to God that cannot be produced by individual consumption of
spirituality. There are some things that can only be done in private, like
praying before the Lord as Jesus commands in His sermon on the mount. But we
are more loved by God than me. And that is hard to get your head around in an
individualistic, privatized religious milieu like ours.
for more on Psalm 87 from Pastor Wilson, click HERE.
First of all, I love this point. It's so challenging, but so true! I think it really challenges the individualistic bent in religion that so many people lean toward. "I worship best in the woods," or "I love Jesus, but the church isn't for me," etc. Second, I love the phrasing! "We are more loved by God than me." Clever and true!
ReplyDeleteI think we should talk about this more, even in terms of our own family - together we worship in a way that we can't on our own. We need each other!