Doing Something

TITLE: Doing Something
DATE: May 28, 2019
TEXT: Colossians 3: 16 -  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
​
Doing nothing is something that Melody Schick is very good at.

Not so very long ago, Melody, dressed herself up as a rag doll and sat down on a revolving platform. Only Melody’s eyes moved. The rest of Melody just sat and sat and sat and… well, you get the idea.

Five hours and 43 boring minutes after Melody first sat down, she slowly stood up and tried to smile. She smiled because she had just become the proud holder of the world’s record for sitting still! Amazingly, Melody’s stunt took place at a shopping center while hundreds of shoppers watched her do….nothing.

You know, from what I’ve seen, there are an awful lot of people who have taken Melody lessons.

From experience I know there are a lot of church goers who have raised “doing nothing” into an art form.

From my vantage point in the front of the church I can see them. When I announce the first hymn, if it’s not “Silent Night” or “Jesus Loves Me”, or a Mighty Fortress”, they don’t sing. They don’t open the hymnbook; they don’t read the words off the screen in the front of the church… they just look straight ahead. Is it time for Confession? They don’t confess. At least their lips don’t move. Prayers go unprayed; songs are unsung; responses left unpresponded.

They do nothing and it’s very frustrating… because, more often than not, I see their kids doing the same thing… or NOT doing the same thing. And that’s a shame, because worship is not a spectator sport.
Now it’s true, I once stopped worship because whole rows of people were taking Communion and rather than returning to their pews, kept going out the door. Yes, I stopped the service, went to the door of the church and said, “Only  one disciple left the original last supper without a benediction.”

And then I blessed them.

I know, I know, it was a poor use of the law, but the problem was stopped.

I never knew how to deal with the folks who came to worship on autopilot; the ones who never got engaged in the Lord’s worship and praise.”  Now I recognize doing nothing may be Melody’s gift… but it is difficult for me to believe that “doing nothing” is the kind of gift the Lord distributes in abundance to His congregations.  

No,  I think what the Lord really wants from us is for His people to appreciate His Son. He wants them to thank the One Who has saved them from sin, Satan and death. God wants people who are willing to let their lights shine, glorify the Savior and help those around them.

St. Paul says it: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, when I am tempted to do nothing, please help me refocus my energies into accomplishing something which will be a reflection of Your love to those around me. In Jesus’ Name I ask this. Amen

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html