All Things Seen & Unseen

In this season of Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, it i s often forg otten that the season is a sharp reminder that Jesus will come one day 'to judge the quick [l iving] and the dead' (old form of Apostles' Cre ed) . The Creed draws th ese words and idea from a t least f our different scriptures of general judgement ( Acts 10.42; Rom 14.9,12; 2Tim 4.1) plus two scriptures on the specific judgement of Christians (2Cor 5.10; Jas 5.9).   We recoil at that thought that we Christians will be judge d but scripture makes this clear beyond dispute.

One of the popular, modern beliefs about Christian worship is that it primarily occurs when the congregation is led in singing by a band of musicians and singers. That view is unfortunate and takes us back to the days when the laity came to church not to sing but to listen to the beautiful cathedral choirs do the singing.  For sometimes, the use of 'worship teams' with bands' and sing ers' efforts amplified can inhibit congregational partic ipation . The 'worship te am' can become a unit set apart by its skills and volume from the congregation leading to congregants becoming passive in their invo lvement in the service.