It was back to work early this morning to finish cleaning and mopping so the building would be ready for church services.  This morning our Sunday School class finished up a study through the book of Job as we looked at the last few chapters where God addresses Job.  Because we know the story of Job and even have a glimpse at the backstory, it is easy to miss how much we tend to be like him as well as like his friends.  We want everything to have an answer and reason that is understandable to us.  When God’s working is a mystery, we often make up answers and reasons that we think make the most sense.  Unfortunately, this leaves us in the position of Job’s friends where we are of no help to those suffering and we give them the wrong impression of God.  

After Sunday School we had a good worship gathering as we gave praise to God through song, learned together from His Word, and gathered around the communion table to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  As I considered my recent trip to Cades Cove and my visit to several different church buildings from the 1800’s, I thought about the vast difference in the furnishings and equipment between then and now.  Sometimes it seems like the modern American church believes it can not function without the latest and greatest buildings, furnishings, and electronics.  While all of these things can be useful tools when used for God’s glory, they become idols when we give them more importance than we give God Himself.  Similarly, gathering with minimal “stuff” can be helpful in removing distractions that keep us from truly worshiping God but it too can become an idol when we begin to focus more on our simplicity and sacrifice than we do on God.  Worship shouldn’t be about our stuff or our lack of stuff — it ought to be solely about God!

As I prepared to close out the day, I was reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthians, and to us: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  (1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV)