Is our Worship Holy?

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

On Wednesday, we resume our study of the book, The Safest Place on Earth, by Larry Crabb. I've been doing my homework.

One of the topics that Crabb returns to again and again is worship. He believes that humans have a natural yearning to worship, but that yearning is often unfulfilled. So, I got to thinking about my own worship experiences. I've had decades of attending Sunday morning church services, so my list of special moments is long. I've whittled it down to a few and looked for common threads.

• In my youth, I was fortunate to attend church camp in the summer. We had a natural amphitheatre formed by rock ledges a few minutes' walk from the main lodge. That became our "chapel." Someone tacked a cross-member onto a tree and we had a living cross. Chapel was held every day and rule was, that as we rounded the corner of the lodge, we fell silent. By the time we arrived in the designated place we'd had several minutes of quiet to contemplate, and prepare ourselves to come into the presence of God.

Holy, Holy, Holy

Bible Study resumes at SPPC this week, with a video series by R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God.  

If you've attended previous Bible studies, you've heard Rev. Irwin on this subject before.  Holy, holy, holy, is the Jewish form of superlative. In scripture, only God is designated as holy, holy, holy.  As the hymn says, "there is none beside Thee."  The holiness of God is central to our faith and our understanding. But just what does the term "holy" mean?  A dictionary definition says

• specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated:
• exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
• morally and spiritually excellent

 But these definitions fall short of capturing the holiness of God.  The first example suggests that human institutions declare a thing holy.  But God was holy before that. The second and third meanings convey an element of comparison.  But none is comparable to God.

Dr. R.C. Sproul says, “The holiness of God affects every aspect of our lives—economics, politics, athletics, romance—everything with which we are involved.”

I look forward to some lively discussion around the topic in the coming weeks.  

All are welcome to attend the study sessions. I've gone to Bible Study for several years now.  At first I was reluctant -- expecting to be bored by a stodgy lecture--but now I'm eager for each new session to begin.  The format is discussion more than lecture.  The people are friendly and willing to listen.  The coffee is hot and the goodies are plentiful.

If you've been thinking of trying Bible study but haven't gotten there yet, why not try this one?  A video series is a change of pace.  It's not a long study--like Revelations!--and it's still too cold to garden.

  Classes are held at the church at 9:30am and 7:00pm on Wednesdays.