You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ...written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
- 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
A hush swept over the sanctuary as they shared line-for-line: We were created in love, purposed in the image of God and under His watchful care where no detail is left unnoticed, "even the very hairs of your head are numbered." (Matthew 10:29-31) We are loved personally - intimately - as if there were no other, even chosen from on high for this very purpose, "You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book." (Psalm 139:15-16)
God loved us into being, "I knit you together in your mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13) with an everlasting, extravagant love, "And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. Simply because you are my child and I am your Father." (1 John 3:1) Jesus has stretched out his wounded hands to us in crucified, self-surrendering love, reaching out to us with God's extended grace and cross-shaped heart, suffering with us in solidarity with the human condition; "Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love." (2 Corinthians 5:18,19; 1 John 4:10; Romans 8:31, 32)
When they had spoken the last word, inviting us to receive the Father's love, "My question is...Will you be my child? I am waiting for you. Love, Your Dad, Almighty God" the members of the congregation erupted into applause. In two out of our four worship services this weekend they received standing ovations. It was obvious to me as I unreservedly rose to my feet and praised God for this love beyond belief, that people were not moved by a showcase of condescending pity ("those sweet and special disabled people up front") but by a genuine take-your-breath-away move of God.
God moves in as many ways as there are moments in time, but I couldn't help but wonder, at this time, if we weren't being moved to a new way of experiencing God, a new way of seeing each other and being church. With a church our size we have developed high standards of professionalism, but I wonder if, at times, over-professionalization has a way of dominating and stifling the Spirit.
To be sure, we need to challenge each other to give God our best and raise our standards, but at the same time, our normative standards should not be unquestioned and unquestionable. If our standards are defined by productivity and the ability to achieve, if those standards are disabling by excluding those with disabilities who can't measure up to our unattainable standards, maybe it's time to put those standards into question. Here's a question: do you need to be a professional to lead others in worship? Are we offering a performance or leading others into the presence of God? Is it normal for most of the congregation to assume their inability to lead others in a place of worship, at any capacity, due to their inability to perform?
Is it possible within our worship settings for God to "(choose) the foolish things of the world to shame the wise" when, after all, if we were all to be entirely honest with ourselves, "God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" and to emphasize the point, "He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are" (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).
We were not only cheering for the message, God was speaking to us through these uncomplicated messengers, conveying our belovedness and choseness and togetherness, writing to assure us that God loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). It's written all over their faces.
At the end of the day, thank God for the professionals, thank God for abilities and achievements and standards of excellence, but let's not forget that simplicity is reproducible. Today we were cheering for the multiplying simplicity of community - a community we can all fully participate in, even the non-professionals among us. And those five individuals, simply loved by God and response-able to God's call, were cheering for us - if we can stand up in front of you and share God's love letter written on tablets of tender hearts, why can't you open your hearts and join us in re-writing out the story for all to read?
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