Monday, January 5, 2009

Simplicity.....

This past summer, as I was sitting with a bunch of moms at swimming lessons, a conversation transpired that went like this. 

"So where do you go to church?" 

".............. How about you?"

"............... "  

Then a few random niceties, and somehow we were talking about worship and doctrine after discovering a familiar relationship to my old church. The woman spoke of her church and how they do things and why. 

"Yeah we sing songs with rich doctrine, not just "Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me", and all those other songs that repeat over and over like, "I love Jesus, I love Jesus".  We like to have rich theology in our worship." 

Anyway, I pause at this point because she lost me there. You see I have no problem with songs that sing of the truths of the gospel, and weave in theological truths,  but I do have a problem with thinking you can move past the simplicity of the love of Jesus. What was she insinuating in that statement? I can only guess. I however, like to keep it short and sweet and simple. If not for the love of God, and the fact that He loved us so much, out of love He sent us Jesus to remedy our relationship than I simply do not know where you and I would be. Why make a simple message complicated? Why always think there has to be more?  

I have a lovely little melody running through my mind often. One that I heard Whitney Houston sing in the movie Bodyguard. One that you and I all know so well. So simple even a child could grasp it's truth and sing it over and over, oh yeah and over again!! Enjoy!


7 comments:

Sheila said...

As much as I love old hymns, and "theology rich" lyrics....I, too, get my back up when I hear someone say that. And I hear it a lot.

I might even (on some level, I haven't analyzed it) agree with them - at least I agree w/ the fact that I dearly love lyrically wealthy songs.

But...but...that attitude is so critical. So unbecoming. Gah. Certainly, that attitude is not "keeping the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace". It is not the pursuit of love. Those words alienate.

Oh well. Whoever this woman is, she is repeating what her leaders have said. She's at a certain place in her spiritual walk, a spot in the continuum. She'll get past it, and return to her simple songs...of that you can be sure! There is a slight grain of truth to what her church is saying, I guess, but they've built a whole house on that tiny grain.

CHRIST is the foundation upon which any house is to be built. Not opinions on worship style.

"Be not easily removed from the simplicity that is found in Christ", Paul said.

He was so right, wasn't he??

jul said...

Great post Lyds, but this can't be the fired up one is it? Stop keeping me in suspense!

lydia said...

Why Sheila...... I think I love you even more, oh fierce warrior defender of the pure gospel of grace and our only hope and source!!!

I think I will remember that...."Be not easily removed from the simplicity that is found in Christ." Please do tell me where to find this verse...........!!!!

lydia said...

Haha! Julie this is not the fired up one I was talking about, sorry to disappoint and keep you in suspense, but I have been a bit preoccupied with an old friend and with an unfortunate stomach bug running rampant throughout my household!!! I may or may not ever get to it!!

Bino M. said...

but I do have a problem with thinking you can move past the simplicity of the love of Jesus.

The interesting thing is that many people think that when they move past the simplicity, it's a sign of growth. But it isn't! You can grow ONLY if you are free from the law.

Grace to you, sis!

lydia said...

Bino ~ Agreed!!

I am reading Joseph Prince's book, "Destined to Reign', again - it's so amazing, anyway He pointed out that in many churches (most actually) that there is an underemphasis on Jesus Christ and an over emphasis on all sorts of doctrines and principles that can be extracted from the word (and of course the law), and what the church is doing by doing that is like what the Israelites did when they called the manna God sent from heaven worthless bread - but the manna that God gave was a picture or a type of Jesus - Jesus said "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die."

So when we don't focus on Jesus Christ and His finished work - we neither have the wisdom of God, nor the power of God, because the Bible says that Christ crucified is the wisdom of God and the power of God. He is the true bread from heaven and only He satisfies!!! The devil is afraid of any church that preaches Jesus Christ on the cross, because he knows that when people know( I mean the revelation kind of knowing) how God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for them, they will see they have a merciful God who loves them unconditionally. They will know the Truth and the Truth will set them free!!
And here's one more thing - every morning the Israelites had to go out and collect fresh manna as it could not be stored overnight or it would go stale and bugs would come - this is a picture for us to collect fresh manna of Jesus - read the Scriptures to unveil Jesus daily and get fresh revelation of Jesus for His mercies are new every morning - and is he not our very breath and living water - we will be so nourished and so established - This is so cool to me!!
Anyway just wanted to share!!

Bino M. said...

Thank you for sharing, Lydia! I have enjoyed reading that book. Mr. Prince makes some excellent points...