Today was a Sunday like many other Sundays. The day started with opening up the church building, getting our music team together, and going over the songs for this week and next (we don’t have a lot of musicians in our church, so we have two guitars, a violin, and occasionally a piano). We aren’t perfect, and won’t be confused with the worship band from your local megachurch anytime soon, but there is a sweet spirit, a desire to worship, and enough skill to offer up a strong offering of praise to our Lord).
After practice, we enjoyed Sunday School as one of our older members has been teaching through the life of Christ. After this, I welcomed our folks, and we worshiped together as brothers and sisters in Christ. It was a good gathering. We had some visitors, which always serves to encourage people in a smaller church. It was exciting to lead the singing and hear our people singing out their praise to their Redeemer. We finished our praise time with “Before the Throne of God Above.” What a way to end a time of singing songs revolving around Thanksgiving! There is nothing we have to be thankful for more than the salvation that we find in Christ.
After the praise time, we had a a few other parts of the service, and then I exhorted the flock from Genesis 17. It has been convicting and encouraging to follow the faith of Abraham and the faithfulness of God. We closed, God was honored, our hearts were stirred and challenged, and I was encouraged by the response of the people to the Word.
But as wonderful as today was, and as much as I love the little flock God has called us to, this ain’t nuttin….
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
I love my church. I love the ministry. But we are imperfect. Our music team might miss a few notes, I tend to get a little off key. I lose my train of thought at times in a sermon. People fall asleep during services. Sometimes childcare workers don’t show up. Any number of things can go wrong with the sound system, etc. This isn’t just our church- this is life in a sin-cursed world. This is the fact of worshiping with imperfect people, and being led and taught by fallen leaders. But it won’t always be that way. One day, we will gather. No more black/white/latino, etc. No more generational preferences. No more imperfection at all. We will surround the throne of grace and worship the One who is over all. What a day that will be. I look forward to that day. But until then, I look forward to meeting with my imperfect brothers and sisters next week and being their imperfect pastor!