Freedom to Worship

For thousands of years freedom has been the topic of essays and discussions, laws and conflicts. Aristotle and Cicero were writing on it long before British lords demanded that Prince John recognize their rights through the Magna Carta.

Patrick Henry said death was preferable to continued domination by England. Countless slaves in southern states determined that dying in trying to reach freedom was better than remaining someone’s property. In his 1941 State of the Union address, President Roosevelt focused upon The Four Freedoms which he declared to be the foundation of any civilization: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.

My dormitory room during seminary days was never locked while I was in class or at work. It contained the daily newspaper, a stack of comic books from college days, and a small, borrowed television. Everyone on the floor knew they were welcome to come in and read and/or watch at any time. Nothing was ever taken, but one day I gained something I have never lost, a new appreciation for my freedom.

The Executive Committee of the Baptist World Alliance was meeting on the seminary campus that week. Representatives from all over the world were present including the Baptist Union from the old Soviet nation. Those were the days when Richard Nixon was under heavy investigation and threatened with impeachment. It was not one of America’s finest moments. At least I didn’t think so at the time.

That was true until I came back to my dorm room from class and found three members of the Russian Baptist Church sitting in front of the little tv and watching the news of Nixon’s troubles. They were transfixed by what they saw.

I introduced myself and was immediately asked if President Nixon would use the military to preserve his power. I remember smiling inwardly and thinking how ridiculous that idea was. That thought was followed by another. I was listening to three individuals who had never known the freedom that had always been a part of my life. They half expected something to happen foreign to my thinking.

I told them that would not happen in our country. The president was commander-in-chief, but the military were first of all sworn in their loyalty to the constitution and secondarily to the presidency. He had to follow the constitution like all other citizens whether civilian or military. The thought was amazing to them.

During this Independence Day season, I think of what it took my ancestors in 1640 to leave the shores of England. They sailed to what must have been for them the Promised Land, a land rich with hope and promise.

Were they seeking freedom from poverty? Were they seeking freedom from some form of political pressure? Were they seeking religious freedom?

I know they helped establish a country that promised the hope of many freedoms. I would like to think that everyone now enjoyed those same freedoms. We know that dream is not yet reality. Society has not reached the point of freedom embodied in the words, if not the thought, of our founding fathers.

Those three Russian Baptists in my dormitory room had little concept of a national leader who was subject to a constitution protecting the people. They also had little knowledge of a country in which the state did not shape the method of worship. Yet here they were in a dormitory room on a seminary campus where no one could tell the students how to worship.

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) That freedom exists in the heart, not in the laws of a nation. Ask any member of the persecuted church around the world. They may be hiding in forests. They may be imprisoned for carrying a Bible. They may be moving with their family from refugee camp to refugee camp. They will tell you, however, no one can take away their heart-worship of God. In their spirits they are free. “If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Size Doesn't Matter

Last Sunday, September 2, I had the pleasure of attending a church about which I have read and heard but seen only from a distance. My older son attends Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. We went together to the 9:00 AM service.

Southeast Christian is a megachurch, hosting around 20,000 worshipers each weekend on three campuses. The sanctuary seats about 9,000 on the main campus. The facilities scatter over forty acres and the church uses big yellow buses to bring attenders in from the far reaches of the parking lots. The entry hall is larger than several churches in my association and contains multiple information sites allowing guests and members to learn what Southeast Christian is doing and how to become involved.

My son and I did not participate in the worship service while seated in the main sanctuary. We sat in the cafe that was located off one side of the Atrium. About sixty people joined us sitting in cushioned armchairs or around small tables. The service was brought into the cafe by flat screen televisions and a single large projection screen.

Though a cafe setting, there was less noise than at a standard Starbuck's. Fewer kids got up to find a restroom than I see in many of our churches. People had their Bibles and their Kindles to use in following the pastor's sermon. Song lyrics were projected on the screens and everyone was encouraged to sing along regardless of where they were seated. We joined together in communion while a praise chorus was being sung. We watched three church members each baptize one of their family members who had recently made a profession of faith.

The pastor, Dave Stone, in his sermon related the story of Nehemiah striving to rebuild the walls of destroyed Jerusalem and then brought out the relevant points for daily living. He ended his message with a direct appeal for listeners to realize the only way to put their lives back together is through Jesus Christ. It was a strong evangelistic appeal.

Did I say that I found myself deeply in worship through all this? In case I skipped that, yes, I did. I worshiped with a small group in an informal setting that was taken very seriously by everyone around me. They may have been sipping on their espresso, punching keys on their Kindles, or in quiet conversation with their neighbor at the table they shared. They weren't there to get lost in a crowd or avoid feelings of guilt. I envisioned what it would have been like to be siting on the mountainside and listening to Jesus discuss the Beatitudes with the thousands around him (that's comparing the settings, not Dave Stone to Jesus!).

Two characteristics stood out. This place represented sincerity of worship and quality of preparation and involvement. You don't have to be a megachurch to have sincerity and quality as high priorities for worship. You just have to take God and his demands on our lives seriously. It is sad that too many of our churches are dying and blaming the society, sports, the next generation, or some foreign country for their demise. The truth lies too often in a church's lack of sincerity in following the demands of the Kingdom of God and their unwillingness to give their best in serving their Lord.

When people give their best effort, which comes by sacrificing something else, and keep their motivation grounded in the desire to glorify God, then a worship service will lead people to worship even if they are seated in a cafe. The worship service at Southeast Christian flowed with smoothness and without hesitation. People knew what they were supposed to do and when they were supposed to do it. The only apology for an interruption came when the music leader apologized for having to get a drink of water due to allergies.

My son has moved to a community about an hour from the church. He intends to keep attending and deepen his involvement in Southeast Christian. He already attends a Sunday morning Bible study group and has taken on the role of a mission project leader for them. Mega did not dampen his interest in the church. I look at the churches in my association and wonder how many would have drawn my son back after he moved an hour's drive away. How does your church service rate?