Should Our Churches Participate in Special Community Worship Services?

Who knows what you'll get in ecumenical services!

Churches often struggle (rightly so) over the extent of their participation with other churches outside of their own circle of beliefs. Some churches in the community may hold beliefs about the Trinity or sexual ethics that differ from our own churches. Some pastors in the community might be notorious in affirming doctrines contrary to the historic Christian faith. Participating in community worship services for Holy Week, Thanksgiving, or Christmas may send a signal of affirmation or acceptance of their alternative views, leading to normalization of their non-traditional positions.

On the other hand, most churches want to be a part of the local community and to make their presence known to other Christians in their community. Participation usually means that their own pastors will be seen as community leaders as they step up to lead parts of the worship services. Participating churches will even take their turns hosting the special service in their own facilities, with many members of the community attending. All this may advance a church's standing in the community, encourage the church's own mission, and help stabilize the norm for Christian faith and practice.

When pros and cons are considered, there is no obviously correct choice. Some churches may think the potential outcome makes participation worth the risk, while other churches may think the potential outcomes are insufficient to justify the risk.

I pastored a church that hosted one community Lent service. The guest preacher politicized his sermon so much that I felt compelled to cut him off. Fortunately, as I was about to conjure enough courage to do so, he finished.

On the other hand, in last night's Good Friday worship service at the local Lutheran church, with 15 attending from my own church, I was so impressed that the ministers from our seven community churches could look beyond our many significant differences to engage in serious and God-honoring worship that focused on the compelling and astonishing events that culminated in the Lord of Glory giving his life for the sins of the world. It was a very positive experience for our congregation.

In addition to our reflecting upon Christ's death for our sins, our church members were exposed to worship that was very different from our own Low Church Baptist roots. It was something that we're not likely to follow on a routine basis, but we might incorporate some of those High Church worship elements from time to time. Moreover, after the service, I noticed our own church members greeting long-time friends and acquaintances from the community. Regardless of possible negatives, there were some very good things that came out of our participation in this ecumenical community worship service.

Marvelous in Our Eyes--How the Despised Remnant Becomes the Temple of God

Pastor's Take-away

Marvelous in Our Eyes

Solomon’s temple was thought to be one of the great wonders of the world. It stood several centuries before it was destroyed by the Babylonians. It was soon rebuilt, using the old foundations, but lacked its Solomonic splendor. Centuries later, King Herod the Great destroyed a major section of it as he usurped the Jewish throne. This gave him the opportunity to become a great temple builder. He expanded the temple’s original borders and integrated the temple walls into Jerusalem’s fortifications. The new temple was spectacular, a remarkable testimony to human engineering.

Herod completed the main temple structure about the time of Jesus’ birth, but the construction process was not brought to completion for another 50 years. Ironically, the temple itself was tragically destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, just a decade after its completion, underscoring the truth of the psalmist’s claim, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (127:1).

Ultimately, no matter the grandeur, no matter the time or circumstance, the Jerusalem Temple is but a shadow of God’s heavenly temple. In fact, the Bible depicts a magnificent eschatological (end-time, ideal) temple in Ezek 40-48. The language is highly figurative and stresses the essence of Temple theology, that God dwells in the midst of his people. Indeed, just verses after describing the New Jerusalem (Rev 21), the Revelator declares that there is no temple there, “because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.”

Jesus himself appropriated the essence of Temple theology for himself and his Church. Since Temple theology is encapsulated as God’s dwelling among his people, Jesus makes his disciples into the new, eschatological temple, for where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus, God is present with them. Thus, Peter writes, “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (1 Pet 2 NLT).

Accordingly, we believers, united together in Christ, are God’s new temple. Thus Paul writes, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Cor 3). To be sure, God’s Temple is in need of continuous cleansing, just like the Jerusalem temple. Nonetheless, this eschatological New Temple, God’s Church, is built upon the great CORNERSTONE. It is marvelous to our eyes, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

What's up with Church Membership?

The Bible teaches that believers should be in fellowship with each other in a significant, covenanted relationship. 185 years ago, our own church congregation organized itself into a covenant community of believers, united together for fellowship, accountability, encouragement, and cooperation and mutual support in ministry. What we are today arises from those initial meetings back in 1833, for those pioneer church members evangelized their friends, and mentored subsequent generations in Christian ministry. Since then, many hundreds of believers joined this congregation and did their part to promote and support the church’s health.

What we will be in years to come will depend upon our own diligence in proclaiming the gospel and nurturing the church’s health. Since our church is governed by its own membership and not by a larger presbytery or diocese, so much depends upon its own members committing themselves to one another in a covenanted fellowship.

Accordingly, we encourage those who attend and participate in our congregation and its ministries to take up church membership—to join the church. We want to encourage congregational ownership of church matters and decision-making.

To this end, we encourage non-members to pray and to seek God’s leading about joining our church. Church membership is offered to baptized believers who are willing to bond with the congregation in love, personal support, accountability, and the financial backing of the church’s mission. In return, members are responsible for voting on church matters and may hold elected office. In every case, we promise our fealty, that is, our intense loyalty, not to some abstract organization, but to one another in the bond of the Spirit.

If you would like to learn more about church membership, contact your pastor or one of your church deacons. 

The Pastor's Sermon--Where Does It Come From

Sunday's sermon is not merely the product of five to ten hours of sermon prep per week. It arises from:

1. the totality of the pastor's personal experience--especially his life in Christ,
2. his education and training under the tutelage of well-seasoned mentors,
3. his personal devotional life,
4. his overall knowledge of the Bible and biblical theology
5. his interaction with congregants throughout the week (month, and even years) as he prays over them and carries the combined weight of their own personal burdens
6. his non-stop ruminating over the church's needs

The good sermon is the product of all this, empowered and guided by the Spirit.

Yet in the end, so much depends upon the individual listener's own receptivity and spiritual sensitivity.