Two Stories of Uplifting Worship

            First an old story:  Jesus said, "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other." (Luke 18:10-14 ESV)

            Now a modern story:  Two men went to their respective churches to worship.  The first went to a church where everything was positive and uplifting. He lifted his hands in the air and sang pulsating praise songs in which he told the Lord over and over again how much he loved him and how he promised to serve him.  “I lift you up with my life, O Lord” he sang, “I am completely surrendered to you!”  When it came time to give personal testimonies, he said what a terrible sinner he’d been before he saw the light and lifted up Jesus as the Lord of his life. He was glad that now he was free of even the desire to stray.  “I’ve given my heart to Jesus”, he said, “I’ll be faithful and victorious till the end.” Then the preacher gave a powerful, uplifting sermon about living right and walking the straight and narrow path. He warned his people not to be like other “so called” Christians:  backsliders who keep falling into sin, and those cold, rigid traditionalists in “dead churches” who sing old hymns and ancient liturgies without even a hint of the Spirit’s power.  When the preacher was done, the first man said “Amen!”  He thanked God that he wasn’t like those people.  Then he went home feeling uplifted, convinced that the warm glow in his heart was the Holy Spirit and that the Lord was truly pleased with him.

            Meanwhile, the second man sat quietly meditating while he waited for the service at his church to begin.  There was an atmosphere of holy reverence in the sanctuary, along with a sense of anticipation that something mysterious and wonderful was about to happen.  It made the man feel small and unworthy; but it also gave him an awareness of the greatness and majesty of God.  The service began with the minister calling the gathered people to repent and confess their sins to the Lord.  And then through a liturgy that faithful Christians have prayed for nearly 2000 years, through time proven hymns that proclaimed not “what I will do for Jesus” but rather “what Jesus has done for me”, through Scripture readings and their careful exposition, and through the Church’s ancient creeds, Jesus Christ was lifted up as the Savior whom God the Father sent into the world to rescue the lost.  The man was made to see that the only lifting up of Jesus he had ever done was his part in nailing Jesus to the cross and lifting him up to die.  He thanked God for his love so beyond understanding that he would send his Son to die for his creatures’ sin.  Later in the service, Jesus Christ was lifted up again when the minister raised the bread and wine that had been consecrated for Holy Communion. And then, kneeling low in humble gratitude for forgiveness purchased at so great a price, the man received the very body and blood that Jesus had given and shed for him.  He went home knowing for certain that a great burden had been lifted up from his soul, and that only for Jesus’ sake was the Lord truly pleased with him.