10th day of Lent

I’m preaching tomorrow in Living Waters Worship. God has blessed me with a love for all kinds of worship. I love to preach in our Sanctuary Worship Service which is traditional in nature. I love to preach in Living Waters which is casual and modern in nature. I do love the anthems of choirs and handbells and organs. I love the old hymns of which I have been nurtured and grown in my faith. And I love the newer hymns that are being written and sung anew almost weekly. I love the stringed instruments of acoustical guitar, bass guitar, and the violin. I love the joy in the faces of those who sing in choirs and of those who sing in praise bands. It gives me hope for the future of the church.

What bothers me though is how different traditions, when juxtaposed with each other, can create an unhealthy sense of competition. Those who are drawn to one tradition over another often feel “theirs” is the best and is the only way for those who would desire to be as spiritually mature as they. I guess the longer I live the more I am deciding that God is more of a “both/and” God than an “either/or” God. Why is it that we have this tendency to always compare things and are hesitant to embrace things?

Some of the most mature and wise persons I’ve known have taught me to be open to others rather than shun others. They have taught me to enjoy diversity rather than be threatened by diversity. They have taught me that unity does not equate to uniformity.

Dear Lord, help me to grow in the ways of the mature and wise. Help me to know very quickly when I fall into the trap of unhealthy competition. Help me to learn how to embrace and allow others the same privilege in their lives. May it be so.