'What To Do? What To Do?'

 

'Not That You Know These Things.’

 I noticed a typo I sent out in this evening’s service sheet. It’s a misquote of Jesus saying to His closest disciples, ‘Now that You Know These Things.’

 My version read, ‘Not That You Know These Things.’ And either could be a reading of the church’s current state. We do know the example of Jesus, and we now ought to do as He did, but very often I’m inclined to think that we really don’t know what He has asked of us.

 Holy Week is a very particular time. It’s a part of the Church year which the Church itself has created to help us journey again in our worship and thinking, through the days which led up to the crucifixion of Jesus.

 What does it mean to us today? Other church traditions seem to get along perfectly well without observing Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday or Easter Eve. Most, even the very reformed, seem to have adopted something of an observance around Christmas and Easter Day, but I often wonder is that the pressure of the secular observance of these days, rather than any spiritual connection. I still meet one of two brothers or sisters in the faith who deliberately won’t wish me a Merry Christmas, making do with a ‘Happy Holidays.’

 But what then is the point of observing Lent and Holy Week and Easter? Many Christians seem very indifferent, even confused by it all. Its difficult these days even to gather ‘the faithful’ on Easter Day, said to be one of the two great Holy Days. This year is a very good test case. We have been closed for church building based services for a good part of this last year, including Holy Week and Easter.

 Admittedly some still struggle with the technology involved, but many who could negotiate it, simply don’t. I suspect Lent and Holy Week are about as well observed this year, as most other years. The problem is not the tec. Or the closed building. I suspect the reasons we do and don’t obvserve these times really sits between ourselves and our relationship with God.

 I love the old adage, ‘if a man wants to pray, let Him pray.’ There is a lot of truth in those nine words.

 People don’t attend church because they don’t want to. People done negotiate the online church life these days, because they don’t want to, bar a few very worthy exceptions. People won’t be in church on Good Friday and Easter Day, because they don’t want to be.

 It isn’t the pews, the choice of songs, the powerpoint or lack of, the length of the service, or anything much else. It really is a case of ‘Not that you know these things.’

 People don’t gather to worship God, really because they don’t know Him.

 What to do?

 What to do?  

Well, if we are actually serious about being a Church, and seeing souls led to Jesus as their Saviour and Lord, we need to stop concerning ourselves with how many do or don’t come and get on with the work of living out the commands of Jesus ourselves; and in His own words, to accept that Jesus will build His own Church.  In other words, we need to get on with being Disciples.

 


In the words recorded for us or that evening before He goes alone to the Cross, having washed the feet of His own followers, Jesus said,’ Now That You know these things, i.e. how to serve others and care for them, even the so called ‘least’, ‘Go and do the same.’

 And that is the harder part.

 I am forced this year, in the absence of all of the infrastructure of church and parish life, to have a good, long, hard look at my own relationship with Jesus, and ask myself how I am getting on with my own Discipleship.

 For me, is it a case of ‘Not That I Know’ how I am  supposed to live in response to Jesus, or am I open to the challenge of the words of Jesus this Holy Week, ‘Now that You Know, Go and Do the Same.’

 Only time will tell.

 



Amen.

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