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Sounds of
Worship
by Shirley Scurlock - Guest Writer
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While
reading in the Voice of the Martyrs magazine of the persecution of our
brothers and sisters around the world; I had to repent. I had been affected in
a negative way by the church attitude, the better-than-the-world syndrome
which permeates the atmosphere in our houses of worship. Struggling between
the opinions of the churched is not an easy job; deciding to believe what man
has to offer is impossible. While the churched seem to go from one extreme to
the other, in direct opposition to one another, I have missed a truth!
It does not matter which Christian church you belong to. What matters is that
you are a worshipper. We can no longer sit in judgment on one another as the
world attacks us from the outside. Today, somewhere in the world, a man or
woman is dying for their faith because they sought to worship God. Today,
across this country, we take the right to worship for granted, leaving off the
effort to attend any Christian service at all. We make excuses for our
attitudes and most often fault the hypocrite in the next pew. While we sit at
home and complain, Christians are being beaten and broken because they sneak
out at the night to worship God almighty and His blessed Son Jesus
Christ against the law. These people know the consequences of their actions;
yet they press on toward the goal of organized worship. These people are
willing to die for the right to go to church.
How do they see us? They die for their faith and we ignore our right to
worship the Lord. While they die, we sit lazily and watch TV. They join hands
and sing praises to God while we fight and backbite. They have ministers who
take their lives in their hands to preach the gospel of Christ, and yet they
preach. Who are they? I do not know their names; they’re not famous to
anyone but God. As they walk dusty streets, there are no cameras to extol
their sacrifices, yet they are on display before angels, apostles, and
patriarchs of ages gone by!
We’re on display as well. The world watches as we who are free to worship do
not! Many of us are too busy finding fault to worship God. The saints of all
ages will one day stand to hear their names called; and as we step up to hear
what almighty God has to say about our lives; will we be ashamed to stand
before those who have been martyred for his names sake? Will I feel
comfortable explaining that sister so-and-so talked about me? Can I speak with
confidence the conviction that church attendance was not all that important?
Will I step back and weep as I behold the reward of those who willingly walked
through the fire into death just to worship together?
The disciples met collectively in homes, most often secretly. Christians heard
where the meeting would be held and came from all directions. We have churches
on almost every corner and cannot convince many Christians that church
attendance is important. Let us become a spectacle to heaven for the sake of
those who die. In honor of the men and women who risk all to be in a place of
worship, go to a place of worship and remember them that suffer.
You
can reach Ms. Scurlock at
©
2004 Shirley Scurlock. All Rights Reserved