The World Aches to be Awed. That Ache was Made for God.
In his excellent, short book, “Competing Spectacles,” Tony Reinke argues that, “Worthless or worthwhile, our eyes [and ears] are insatiable things.” As human beings, we are drawn to the spectacular – good stories, amazing visuals, beautiful works of art, staggering compositions, compelling arguments, juicy celebrity gossip, heroic sports performances, etc. We are a people, as Reinke argues, that “ache to be awed.” And, rest assured, that’s not a bad thing. Our ache for awe is an echo of what our eyes and ears were created for – to be awed by God. Our ultimate issue is not the insatiable desire of our minds and hearts for spectacles, it’s that we’re prone to be awed by spectacles with infinitely less value than the Lord.
One of the inherent benefits of gathering every week as the local church is that we have the opportunity to set our minds and hearts back on the most valuable spectacle. It’s amazing how quickly our vision gets distracted and fixated on lesser things. So, we weekly sing corporate songs of praise, we pray corporate prayers, and we listen to biblical teaching all in the hope that, through the work of the Spirit, the other distractions of life would grow strangely dim as we magnify Jesus.
It’s in this vein of thought that we as a church make a point to host special Nights of Worship throughout the year. Whereas our weekly routine of gathering as the corporate body is like a healthy meal for the nourishment of our souls – I’m also passionate to see us as a church have unique times in which we pull out all of the stops – like a five course dinner on Christmas evening – purposed at feeding the insatiable appetites of our eyes, and ears, and minds, and hearts with that which we were created for – CHRIST! It’s on these special evenings that we let the creative juices of our musical and technical teams flow – utilizing lyric, instrumentation, lighting, visual media, and videography – all aspiring to make Jesus look as glorious as He truly is, while also giving us as His people the opportunity to respond in joyful shouts and jubilant song to that glory. You were made to be awed – and one of the deepest desires of my heart as the worship pastor at EBC is to use our worship ministry as a spotlight that aims our attention straight at the awesome One.
One of these special nights of worship is being meticulously crafted, thought through, and prepared for right now. Please, come join us on October 27 from 7-8:30 pm for our next Night of Worship, as we gather and aim our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds on the greatest of all spectacles – God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit!
Looking forward to seeing you there, and singing my heart out with you.
In Love and in Christ,
Pastor Ryan A.
Categories: Evergreen Connection