My Morning Meal

Sometimes I think we’d do better to choose our words more carefully. Case in point . . . is there a difference in meaning between “when you go to church” versus “when you come together?” The whole I idea of “going to church” is sort of inaccurate. We’ve taken a term originally designed to describe the living body of Christ and turned it into a reference for an animate structure constructed by the hands of men. We’ve diluted the wonder associated with a called out people . . . a spiritual house . . . a royal priesthood . . . a chosen generation . . . a holy nation . . . a people for God’s very own possession . . . because we take the word that refers to the Bride of Christ, the church, and use it to talk of a place to go . . . rather than a people to be.

So what’s got me going down this path this morning? I’m reading the latter portion of 1Corinthians 11. And what jumps out at me from the ESV text is the 5-time repeated phrase “when you come together.”

“. . . when you come together it is not for the better, but for the worse . . . when you come together as a church, I hear there are divisions among you . . . when you come together it is not the Lord’s supper you eat . . . so then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another . . . so that when you come together it will not be for judgment.” (1Corinthians 11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34 ESV)

So I’m thinking that God doesn’t see us as “going to church” . . . that the Son doesn’t care a lot about what time we start or finish the program . . . but that there is an interest from the balconies of heaven in what it’s like when we “come together.” When we assemble as the body of Christ, it can be for the better or the worse. It can be in a way that builds up the members of the body of Christ or in a way that tears down some of those for whom Jesus died. It can be all about me and what “I get” from “going to church” or it can be about “one another” and what encouragement I can bring to someone else as we “come together.” And (shudder!) our gathering can be something that brings God’s blessing as He is glorified or, “doing church” can bring God’s judgment as He loves us to much to let us just go through the motions or, worse yet, put on a pretense of piety when in fact we care only about our own body and not the body of Christ.

Paul says that “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (11:29). While it could refer to remembering that the bread of the communion table represents the body of Christ offered for sin, I have understood it to mean that I should recognize that those who are gathered around the table with me are the living body of Christ . . . members for whom Jesus died. That the Lord’s table is not just about me remembering the Lord but it’s about doing so in the context of others . . . fellow sinners saved by grace . . . brothers and sisters in the Lord. That it is about corporate worship . . . and occurs only when we come together.

So, when we come together . . . when we assemble . . . when we gather with each other . . . singing songs of praise to the redeemer . . . receiving the word of God as it is proclaimed from the pulpit . . . taking of the cup and bread at the Lord’s table . . . engaging in fellowship over a cup of coffee before going home . . . when we come together, it is about so much more than going to a place or engaging in routine activities. It should be about “one another”.
The awe of recognizing in one another the church that Christ is building — not of bricks and mortar, but of living stones fashioned into a spiritual dwelling place for God through His Spirit. The joy of reconnecting with one another as we share triumphs and set backs of the week. The refreshing that comes as we encourage one another to keep on keepin’ on by His all sufficient grace and for His all deserving glory.

Yeah, I think words make a difference. Going to church is fine . . . but coming together? . . . that’s when it really happens . . . for our blessing . . . and for His glory.

I’m not really one for fine dining . . . haven’t been to a lot of real fancy restaurants . . . a few, but not very many or very often. Recently though, Sue and I went out for dinner with some friends to a nice restaurant. Not only was it nice because there was nothing on the menu you could “super size”, but because it was located up on bluff overlooking the city. And, while we didn’t reserve any particular table, we were seated at a table near the window . . . a table with a nice view of the cityscape below us. Not all tables had such a view . . . we could have just as easily been seated near the kitchen . . . or near the washrooms at the back of the restaurant. But we weren’t. And wouldn’t it have been kind of dumb to have said, “No” to the table with a view and instead asked to be seated at the back by the washrooms? I’m thinkin’ . . .

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? . . . You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” (1Corinthians 10:16, 21 ESV)

Talk about your “fine dining” . . . talk about your “best seat in the house” . . . and you’re talking about the Lord’s table. Invited to pull up a seat with the Guest of Honor . . . no back row . . . no observing from afar . . . no hoping for leftovers . . . but given full access to participate in the “cup of blessing” and “the bread that we break.” Brought near, received onto holy ground, as we interact afresh with the life giving blood of the Savior. We, who were once on our own to wage war with sin and death, now made one body, identified eternally with the body of Christ. Oh, how easy it is to take such a seat for granted. How prone I can be to simply “go through the motions” during communion and never look up and behold the view . . . the view of the cross . . . the view of the empty tomb . . . the view of the land that awaits all those love His appearing.

And what’s worse is that not only can we fail to appreciate the table we’ve been called to, but often we’ll ask for a table at the “back of the restaurant.” We’ll chose to sit at the table with one leg shorter than the others . . . the one that’s dirty and not wiped clean after the previous patrons . . . the one that keeps getting bumped by the waiting staff as they rush in and out of the kitchen. And what’s more, we’ll settle for the “cheap meals” . . . we’ll ask to be served scraps with no lasting nutritional value. And, somehow, we’ll think we can jump back and forth between the table the Lord has set for us, and the one the world invites us to dine at.

Why would I give up a seat at the Lord’s table for a seat at the back? Why would I settle for the world’s junk food when I’ve been invited to participate in soul-filling fare of the Lord Himself? I don’t know . . . but sometimes I do . . . “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it . . . Prone to leave the God I love . . . Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, . . . Seal it for Thy courts above.”

Sometimes I need to be reminded of the privilege that is mine to have a seat at the table.

Reminded that the reservation was booked by God Himself, and that the tab was picked up by His Beloved Son. To not forget, when I’m at the table, to sit back and behold the view . . . considering afresh heaven’s love poured out that I might be redeemed . . . knowing again that my Savior lives and that I’m dining with Him . . . discerning the body of the Lord in the believer’s who surround me . . . appreciating anew the wonder of the fellowship that I have been grafted into. And, when I have known again the wonder of being invited to the table . . . and have been fed the food of heaven . . . then, by His grace, I will have no desire for the table set by the enemy . . . no hunger for the greasy offerings of the world.

A seat at the Lord’s table . . . now that’s fine dining . . . amen?

Competitors don’t like to be benched. Being pulled out of the game is the worst thing that can happen to those who want to be in the game. Even worse if you’re sidelined because of your ineffective or illegal play. To have trained so hard and played so hard only to be disqualified for some indiscretion or due to some lapse of focus adds insult to injury. Not enough just to be good . . . not enough just to play hard . . . but also necessary to stay focused, play by the rules, and finish well.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV)

In chapter 9, Paul writes to the Corinthians on how he has approached his “position on the team” as an apostle. As an apostle, given full-time to the proclaiming of the gospel, he had the right to expect to live off that labor. The principle and precedent for those that shared the gospel to earn a living from the gospel was well understood . . . taught by Moses (9:8-10) . . . commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself (9:14). “Nevertheless,” says Paul, “we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ” (9:12).

Paul was “all in” to the game. He was determined, by the all-sufficient grace of God, to “play the game” at it’s highest level and within the strictest interpretation of the rules. Rather than exercise his rights as an apostle, he instead determined to make himself “a servant of all, that I might win more” (9:19). He would take no credit for preaching the gospel . . . that was but a stewardship . . . that was simply (well, not so simply) discharging the call the Lord had placed on His life (9:16-17). But if he were to boast in anything, it would be that he discharged his gospel-proclaiming duty free of charge to those who needed to hear of the free gift of salvation (9:18).

Paul was “all in” . . . but you sense that he was aware that at anytime he could be “taken out” if he wasn’t’ careful.

Paul saw himself as a runner . . . not a hundred yard dash runner, but a marathon runner . . . and at the end of the race was a prize. Not some perishable wreath, or ribbon, or trophy, but the imperishable crown of “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the Master and a place amidst His glory for all eternity. And so, Paul was determined to run in a manner that would result in the realizing the prize the Lord had for him. He would not run aimlessly . . . he would not be like a boxer swinging wastefully at the air . . . but he would “complete” in such a way that, as much as lied within him, he would remain at the top of his game . . . in such a way that, at the end of the day, he would not find himself benched . . . sidelined . . . pulled out of the game . . . disqualified.

Not that Paul was in fear of losing his salvation, but he was aware of losing his privilege to serve if he served carelessly. He was aware of the ease with which he might become ineffective if he became “flabby” . . . letting himself go . . . running with less purpose . . . become arrogant or presumptuous . . . resting on past victories . . . losing sight of the prize. And to do so, could end up in him being disqualified . . . castaway . . . not standing the test . . . not approved. It seems that he believed it was not just about running the race but about HOW one run’s the race. Not just about competing but competing at the top of one’s game. Not getting too cocky concerning “your abilities”, but recognizing that it’s about at stewardship . . . about His gifting . . . relying on His grace . . . running the race by the power of His Spirit. How tragic to run but not finish well . . . how sad to think you’ve reached the finish line, only to find that you were pulled from the game miles ago.

Oh, that I would not lose the desire to be “in the game” . . . that I would continue to strive to be at the “top of my game” . . . and not be disqualified from “winning the game” . . . through His power within me . . . and by His grace upon me . . . for His glory . . . amen.

Came across kind of a thought provoking “command” in my reading this morning. You just kind of sense that there was a lot of churn within the church at Corinth . . . a number of issues brewing. One of them looks to be the anxiety around the question, “What do I do now that I am saved?” If I was married, do I try and get out it? If I’m not married, should I make it a priority to take a believing spouse? If I’m uncirmcumcised, do I now have to become circumcised? If I’m circumcised should I try and get uncircumcised (how would you do that?)? I was saved a slave, that can’t be the Lord’s will, I must need to get out of that situation. And to all this churn, Paul kind of says, “Take a breath!”

“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him . . . Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called . . . So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.” (1Corinthians 7:17, 20, 24)

Perhaps this churn was more pronounced at Corinth because of the number of “newly saved” who were asking themselves the “Now what?” question. But it seems to me that there’s some instruction here for all believers concerning being content in “whatever condition.”

That God could have plans for us to totally turn our world upside down is entirely possible. That the accountant could be called to be a preacher is possible . . . that the handyman might be called to manage a supplies depot for a missionary organization halfway across the world, shouldn’t be dismissed . . . that a gal who could barely get through English 101 would be directed of God to learn a foreign language (or languages) in order to serve an unreached peoples, is within the realm of God’s possibility. But that His calling might too involve serving Him in your current situation . . . your current condition . . . is just as much a possibility. And so, says Paul, “Remain in the condition in which you are called.”

I’m not thinking this is necessarily a “remain there forever” thing, but it could be. It certainly though, is a “remain there for a least the next step” thing. While I need to be sensitive to the Lord’s leading . . . and need to be careful about being unwilling to step out of the box I’m content to be in . . . if I’m picking up what Paul’s laying down, then I also need to be careful about not recognizing my current situation as being the exact place God wants me to be in order that I might live the life He wants me to live for His glory.

I am to lead the life that Lord has assigned to me today. It might change tomorrow . . . could end up being radically different in the future . . . but for now, this is my “whatever condition.” This is where God wants me today and I can waste a lot of today churning about what I should be doing tomorrow or, I can leave that with the Lord.

The condition almost becomes secondary if I remember that I “was bought with a price” (7:23) and that ultimately I’m under new management. Paul says that the slave is a “freedman of the Lord” even if he remains in servitude to another. And that he who is free is, in reality, “a slave of Christ.” It’s not so much then about “the condition” it’s about the context . . . and my context is “in Christ.”

And so, “in Christ,” there should be a contentment with the “whatever condition” (Php. 4:11). For today, I can trust that God has me where He wants me and I can serve Him by doing whatever I do “heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Col. 3:23).

Get rid of the churn and rest. Trust that He is able to move me where I need to be moved . . . when I need to be moved . . . but that, for now, I’m exactly where He wants me to be . . . in whatever condition . . . for His glory . . . amen?

The Psalmist’s questions are kind of haunting. Whatever his situation, you know it’s got to be desperate and confusing. The sort of circumstance where you need a bit of “heavenly sunshine” . . . where you’re looking for some evidence of God’s hand being active in the midst of it all . . . but the sort of situation where all you see is dark clouds . . . where you feel absolutely alone . . . where you wonder, “Where’s God?”

“Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
Has His steadfast love forever ceased? Are His promises at an end for all time?
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah (Psalm 77:7-9 ESV)

The psalmist, to quote one of my daughters, “is done!” He can’t sleep at night . . . his soul is in a state of constant agitation . . . he is so troubled he can’t speak . . . the song is gone . . . the lyrics are forgotten . . . the melody has turned to a dirge. He is so done with this!

What to do? How to climb out of this hole? How to come up for a breath of air? The answer? . . . remember . . . ponder . . . meditate . . . on every evidence of God’s hand upon your life in the past . . . and know that He is so not done.

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will ponder all Your work, and meditate on Your mighty deeds. (Psalm 77:11-12 ESV)

Though he sees no evidence of God working in the present, the psalmist determines to recall the mighty deeds of God in the past. Though God seems silent to his trials right now, the psalmist sets his mind upon the wonder of the all too evident workings of God in the past. He would think of all the previous evidences of God’s presence . . . he would meditate, with renewed awe, on all God’s mighty deeds in the past.

And so, the psalmist recalls that God is holy . . . that He is great and like no other god . . . that He is a God who works wonders and makes known His might to His people . . . that He has, with a mighty and outstretched arm, redeemed His people . . . that He has led them like a flock (77:13-15, 20). He meditates on the God of the past and believes that He is the same God “yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8) . . . that while the psalmist may “be done”, God is so not done.

It’s not a formula that commands the immediate intervention of God’s hand. And, it’s not the “three quick and easy steps” to a sunny outlook. What it is, is work. An effort-requiring determination to bring every thought into captivity in the midst of gut churning, spirit crushing circumstance and “remember the wonders of old.” It is faith in motion. Believing the promises of God enough to recall the past works of God and know that, while He may be momentarily silent, He has not forsaken you nor left you . . . and that He is not done.

This morning I also read this in 1Corinthians . . . ” the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God . . . and such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1Cor. 6:9-11). How’s that for a work of the hand of the LORD” to remember? Consider that “wonder of old” . . . ponder that evidence of God’s active agency in our lives . . . meditate on that “mighty deed” . . . and know that God’s purposes in bringing us into the light will be accomplished . . . even when the day seems dark.

Praise God . . . even in the storm . . . that He is so not done! Amen?