Mark Twain
had a way with words. Even though his statement, “If there are no cigars in
heaven, I shall not go,” is pretty brash, it does make us smile. The issue for
Twain, though, probably wasn’t really
cigars, but rather what we are going to do in heaven. People have the idea that
eternal life is going to be one unending church service during which we’ll have
to sit still on wooden pews, sing songs we don’t like and be preached at. Doesn’t
sound much like Paradise, does it?
Not to worry!
Even though we’re not sure exactly what we’ll be doing in heaven, we can be
sure, we’re not going to be bored or disappointed for even a fraction of a
second. But Twain’s statement and our caricature of heaven bring up a relevant
question about worship. We have the idea that as Christians, worship is
relegated to formal religious services which take place inside a church building.
And because such religious services are not always the most earth shaking, our
opinion concerning the value of worship in our lives is diminished.
The reason
worship has always been a principle activity among believers, both during Old
Testament and New Testament times, is that, far from being an isolated weekly
event, worship is a dynamic way of life. Through worship God
develops a personal and living relationship with us. This Saturday evening
(6:00 pm) and Sunday morning (10:00 am) we are going to study what the Bible
says about worship and its different roles in our lives. If you have the idea
that worship is about “going to church”, join us for a study that will open
your eyes to what God wants to do in your life.
