Dear Grace Family,
We’ve packed a lot into the last 7 days, haven’t we? From the somber, sacred reflections on Good Friday, to the festive celebration on Easter morning, to the sweet fellowship and succulent BBQ on Sunday evening, to the disaster relief trip made yesterday. We’ve covered the range of emotions and the range of what a church is supposed to be and do together. I’m always looking closely for those biblically appointed signs of vitality to make sure Grace Presbyterian Church is alive and well. The most obvious way to measure that is in Lord’s Day worship. However, that’s not the complete story, is it? The orthodoxy and doxology of our worship together is more imagined than real if it isn’t accompanied by the orthopraxy of the worshippers gathered. In other words, if how we think on the Lord’s Day is never followed up by what we do throughout our daily lives, then there remains a profound disconnect at the core of our being. I’ve known many PCA churches that turn into nothing more than “preaching stations”, where folks gather to hear preaching that suits them without ever engaging in the rest of that Acts 2:42-47 life together. In fact, historically, I’m afraid enough of our churches have been guilty of that to the point that it wouldn’t be accurate to call it a rarity. What about us? What are our vital signs showing? If you come here week by week and are no more compelled to love Jesus and walk by faith to His glory throughout your days and across the different areas of life, then I’m afraid you’ve only heard the words of a man, not the living and active Word of God illuminated by the Holy Spirit. And let’s be honest, sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two. I began the sermon on Easter morning asking the question, “why did you come here?” I want that to be a question all of us ask each Sunday morning. But I want it to be asked in the context of prayer. “Lord, why have you called me to gather with the saints for worship this morning? What should I be expecting to get out of it? What have you called me to put into it? What can I do to ensure that I’m not going through the formality but truly have a heart that desires to worship you? What can I do to ensure that what I think translates into what I do?” I need that prayer early on a Sunday morning. I think it’ll benefit all of us, too. Have a great “super bulldog weekend.” See you on Sunday!
Humbly yours,
Seth