(Read John 15)
When I was first exposed to contemporary Christian worship, I loved it. The passion and energy were remarkable. As a parent chaperone for a youth event my son’s church group attended, I witnessed testimonies, captivating sermons, and powerful Christian music in rock-and-roll format. Anything in that format worked for me. To say that in a traditional church setting I didn’t have that same attraction would be an understatement.
For most of my life, my worship comfort zone was traditional—pipe organ, choir, Hymnals, and standing for the Gospel readings. After a few Pastoral changes, one preacher suggested a praise service with keyboards, electric guitars, and projected lyrics without all the usual altar decorations. She told us some churches even held services in renovated schools, shopping malls, gyms, and warehouses. When I heard this, I was done. I told my wife I didn’t want any part of this. I was disgusted with the thought of it. Well, God works in strange and funny ways. Not long after, I was the lead tech for the “Praise” service, researched a sound system for our church, and performed sound and A/V duties for the services for almost ten years.
I’m not providing this description to elevate myself or to WOW anyone. It’s to give you some background about how things can change in churches and even in our own desires. Worship settings are not as important as the substance of worship. We often make a big deal about what we like and what we don’t — but as long as the focus is on the Grace and Salvation from our Savior, and we glorify God, we shouldn’t sweat some of the details.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:7-8
Matthew 6:7-8 is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where He contrasted aspects of righteous living with religious practice. Jesus cautions us against the use of meaningless repetition. Instead, prayer (and worship) should be thoughtful and sincere, not mechanical. Jesus was countering pagan religious practices that reflected a misunderstanding of the nature of God. We are told that God knows our needs even before we convey them in prayer. This understanding should shape how believers approach God confidently and trust in His awareness and care.
Referring to God as “your Father” brings true meaning to the personal and intimate relationship believers have with God, which is characterized by trust and familiarity, not by fear or the need to persuade God through elaborate rituals.
The other day, I had a heartfelt conversation with my neighbor’s 94-year-old mom. We had previously met, but I had never had the opportunity to learn about her faith. “I have pretty much always been at the same church. But out in the country, we would go to community churches spread out about 3-4 miles, because churches only had services a few weeks per month.” (M) is a sweet, charming, woman from southern Alabama. “I’ve been attending church since I was a little girl,” she told me. (M) described her early life in direct and humble detail. “Every community had its own country church.” They were Southern Baptist liturgical churches.
Here we sat in a comfortable discussion, people from entirely different worlds: a baby boomer from the predominantly white suburbs of New York City and a black woman from the greatest generation in the segregated South. Our conversation wasn’t based on uniformity or relativism. We were keeping it real. The thread of our time together, more than anything else, was based on the unity of Christ and the hope of the Gospel. Unity doesn’t equal uniformity.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:1-3
King David wrote Psalm 23 as a profound testament to God’s providence, protection, and guidance. The poem reflects an unwavering trust in God’s ability to provide and care for His people in all circumstances. In ancient Israel, shepherds were responsible for the safety and well-being of their sheep, often risking their lives for their flock. This imagery paints a vivid picture of God’s personal and intimate care for His people. Psalm 23 is ripe with images of abundance, peace, and rest. Green pastures provide nourishment. Still waters signify calm and refreshment, and ultimately the shepherd leads His sheep to places where they will thrive.
“My favorite Scripture is Psalm 23 from the Old Testament,” (M) said. “Mhmm. The LORD is my shepherd, is my favorite. And I shall not want.” Her faith is so pure, confident, and beautiful. I felt peace oozing from her every word. She described some challenges in her life and shared stories of her siblings, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She explained some humorous stories of slipping away from the kids to have a bit of adult time. “When we got the kids quiet in the house, we’d sometimes go out the back door and lock it from the outside. Then, we’d go to the smokehouse with a tea cup and fill it halfway with wine from the blackberries we used to pick. Only until we got a little bit warm inside.”
What a rich, treasured life God’s blessed her with — and the coolest thing is, she knows it. She thanks God for every aspect of her family, career, health, and glorious future. (M)’s faith is based on a life rooted in trust, simplicity, and a deep relationship with God, not formulaic and “look at me” practices.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:12-13
Jesus was keeping it real with His disciples. He showed them the true love of friends and commanded the same for His followers. By following this commandment, believers become Christ’s friends, which was quite a significant elevation from the typical master-servant relationship. Using His own love, characterized by selflessness, sacrifice, and service as the benchmark, he set an incredibly high standard for this love. In the cultural context of the time, friendship was often considered one of the highest forms of relationship, involving loyalty, trust, and mutual care.
Jesus wasn’t impressed by status or wealth. He was impressed by love, faith, and loyalty. As Pastor Greg Laurie wrote, “Our world loves you when you are famous and a celebrity; God loves you when you are unknown and a complete nobody.” If Jesus were anything other than this, He wouldn’t be the approachable intermediary God that He is.
“So, how do you talk to Jesus?” I asked.
Without hesitating, she said, “Just like you’re talking to me. That’s how we’re supposed to pray to Him too. So he’d be glad to hear you speak to him like you’re speaking to me. He’s not gonna slap you off or scold you about it. He’s gonna say, ‘I’m so glad that that brother came up in a humble tongue.’” Her reply blew us away. What she said wasn’t earth-shattering; we’ve all heard it before, but the unfiltered simplicity of her statement pierced the room. (M) continued, “If He didn’t accept us like that, Jesus wouldn’t have anybody. He wants us to be humble and kind and come to Him and each other.” We all echoed, “Amen.”
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8
The evidence of people with hearts full of the Holy Spirit is easy to spot, for those with the love of Christ driving their lives make the room, house, community, and nation brighter. God’s abundant love and grace are the blessings Paul wrote about to the church in Corinth. He, too, kept things real for the Corinthians. What changes people’s hearts, and the world for that matter, aren’t philosophies, opinions, or speculations; what changes hearts are the outpourings from our encounters with Christ.
(M) summed up her thoughts, “This is the way you treat people. All people. A lot of times, you’re more like people than you are different. And in the eyes of Jesus, we’re all the same. We’re all the same.”
She has visited numerous churches in her life, so I asked her what kind of worship and music she likes. Apparently, she’s not too crazy about the showy, charismatic type. “I like some of them better than others —depending upon who’s singing them.” We all laughed. “You get some people who are so happy with the songs, you don’t know what they’re saying.” We didn’t ask her to define “happy,” but I’m sure it comes back to style.
What helps one Christian might not connect with another. I often remind myself to look for the substance in worship. I push myself to break boundaries with people I’m not immediately comfortable with. I love hearing people’s stories, understanding them better, and finding substance in our unity in Christ. The best thing we can do as followers of Christ is to break down the walls between us, forgetting what we like and what we don’t, and come together in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That’s keeping it real.
“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.”
C.S. Lewis
Key Applications:
- The call to love as Jesus loved challenges us to move beyond superficial, convenient expressions of love to a love willing to make significant sacrifices for the well-being of others. Consider the needs of others and how you can put their well-being above your own convenience or comfort. Give your time, resources, or emotional support even when difficult or inconvenient.
- Pray and reflect on Jesus’ sacrificial love. Meditation and reading the Gospels will deepen your understanding and commitment to this kind of love. Make it a point this week to reflect Christ’s heart in all you do.