Worship Focus for the Fifth Sunday in Easter: You Can't Build a Temple with One Stone

Fifth Sunday in Easter Scripture Readings

Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, I Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14

God’s people have always had to be on guard against Idolatry (or worship of something or someone other than God). It was true of the people of Israel in the days of the prophets and it is true today. True today? How do we practice Idolatry? We here in America love our freedom. But what has freedom become to us? I think if we gave an honest answer it would have a lot to do with Individualism. Individualism taken to the extreme is worship of self. Self worship is the most diabolical form of Idolatry.

All forms of worship, even self worship, have with it religious like rituals and liturgy. Let’s think for a moment about some of the common rituals of American “Me” worship. Why is it that most American homes have multiple TV and computer screens scattered throughout the house? Why is that people don’t buy as many CD’s and listen to music on the radio as much but instead it is common in any crowd to see a large fraction of people with their ears plugged with headphones? Why is it that when we make that gridlocked commute to work alone in our cars everyone else is also trapped and isolated in their vehicles? Why is it that if we actually choose to communicate with another it is often with these funny shorthand codes we shoot to the other person’s phone? Why is it that with the revolution in technology that is supposed to make life more efficient, we never seem to have enough time to get everything done? Why are we so tired and stressed out? When was the last time you invited a friend over for a home cooked meal and sat down over dinner for a leisurely conversation? When was the last time you took the whole day off and did nothing and didn’t feel guilty about it? Why are most Americans in debt?

“On demand” is a term that we tend to like. We like to customize the way we experience our own life and we get very annoyed by anyone or anything that gets in the way of our “on demand” lifestyle. Basically we say, “Don’t get in the way of my freedom to go where I want when I want, do what I want when I want, and to be what I want on my own terms. I have a right to be happy!”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that if you own an iPod you are an Idol worshipper. What I am saying is that we have to be aware of this “on demand” attitude. We also need to be very careful about taking it into the life of the church. I’m afraid that this “me” style of Idolatry gets practiced far more than we realize in our churches. We can have an “on demand” attitude about the churches that we feel are lucky enough to be graced by our presence. We want our kind of music, just the right pastor and sermon, and just the right programs so that we can “get spiritually fed.” But it isn’t just the people who attend church who are responsible, churches also buy into it. Many churches want to get people in the door so they spend all of their resources trying to give the people what they want. I hate to say it, but it is just simple Idolatry.

An over exaggerated “self” does not work in the Church. Take a look at this passage from I Peter 2:5 (NRSV)

…like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

There are two phrases that stand out to me here. First is, “living stones,” and second is, “be built into.” The term, “living stones” alludes to individual people. God is definitely interested in us as individuals. He created each of us unique. He shapes each of our lives through experience. But he doesn’t do that so we can just be a beautiful well shaped stone sitting isolated on the ground somewhere. One stone does not a temple make. He shapes our lives to “fit” somewhere. He shapes us to be built into His Church. We don’t lose our individual identity, but our individuality does not make sense without fitting into a whole. The phrase, “…be built into a spiritual house” sounds constricting. Does God just want me to be another brick in the wall that is constrained and stuck in one place? I think, in a sense, the answer to that is, “yes.” But you might say, “What about my freedom? Doesn’t God bring freedom?” Let’s explore freedom a bit.

Discipline and commitment are the cement that fixes us into our place in the Church. For us individualistic Americans the words, discipline and commitment, are not words we may care for much. They get in the way of our “on demand” lifestyle. But discipline and commitment are keys to real freedom. I am always amazed when I see and hear a skilled instrumentalist play. Although the music they produce is spectacular, what amazes me is the freedom and grace with which the instrumentalist plays. That instrumentalist probably had a lot of natural ability to begin with but would have never been able to play with such freedom without having put in countless minutes, hours, days, and years of committed and disciplined study and practice. So to, spiritual freedom comes with being built into something. It comes with commitment and discipline. It is not easy to give up our “on demand” lifestyle for the sake of others. Real church is hard because it goes against the norm. As long as we view the local church as a place where I go to get my spiritual needs met, then it remains a place that I can take or leave depending on my feelings and circumstances. But once we realize that we are needed in the local church just as much as the pastor and that we each have as much to contribute to the liturgy (the work of the people) as does the worship leader/team, it is not something that we can easily take or leave. Once we realize that the people in our small groups need each of us to be there for them as we need them to be there for us, how can our commitment level not increase? Once we understand what Peter is telling us here, we may have to get into the habit of honoring our commitment to make meeting at certain times and places a priority. It may require us to follow through with a commitment to use our gifts for the good of the church. It will require us to be committed to people that we may not really like, rather than running away to find a church with no one who gets on our nerves. It will certainly cause us to lose our life in order to find it. Christ set the example. He gave up His rights to an “on demand” lifestyle. After all, He was God and could do anything on demand, but He let that go to serve others and to ultimately give His life for us. He died, but He also rose. When we are willing to be built into God’s Church, we will lose what we may consider to be freedom. We have to die to self. But then comes a resurrection to new life and real freedom!

Think back to my description of the rituals of “Me” worship. All of those things are symptoms of living an “on demand” lifestyle. That kind of freedom always brings bondage. Are we really free when we spend a good portion of our day stuck in traffic, our debt is piled so high that we can hardly keep up with the bills, when we have to go to a job that we absolutely hate in order to pay those bills, when we are so busy trying to be happy that we have no time for happiness, and when we are so busy trying to be it all and do it all that we don’t have any time for meaningful relationships? Chasing freedom brings bondage. Being built into God’s Church brings real freedom. Can we truly be the people of God and come out of this very tired and sick way of life? It is not easy. Idolatry is addictive and becomes a trap. But the first step in recovery from addiction is to come to terms with the problem and then begin to take small steps toward a healthier way of life. If we begin to commit ourselves to God and to one another, the Church would become a very attractive alternative. We as God’s holy temple will become a place of refuge and rest to an overburdened, stressed out, and tired “on demand” society.

Our world so desperately needs us to cast down our idols and worship God alone. They need the hope that only the Body of Christ can bring.

Here is some poetry that I wrote a couple of years ago on the religious rituals of American idolatry:

"American Idolatry" explores "Me" worship.

"Empty Seats" is about traffic and isolation that comes from everyone wanting to go their own way in their own cars.

"Mega Church" is about church without community.

"Liturgy of God and Country" explores what happens when our national interests are really about protecting our self interests and we create an unhealthy mix of God and country.

"The Corporation" is about corporatism VS community.