CP 264 When me and Seppo worshipped this Christmas
CP 264 When me and Seppo worshipped
this Christmas…
For the
first time in 46 years I did not worship in a Lutheran Church over Christmas.
However there were two separate ‘worship times’ which gripped my spirit. The
first was on Christmas Eve in the Ingleburn Anglican church. A couple of carols
to start with, followed by readings from the Gospel of John and the book called
Hebrews. Then a brief message, a carol, prayers, a final carol, and we were
out… just 45 minutes in total. The whole experience was so ordinary and human,
so un-hyped and gentle, that it was comforting and joyful in its simplicity.
We didn’t
get to worship on Christmas Day. We were on the road from Sydney to Thredbo for
3 days of camping. On the first day we met the bloke on the campsite next to
ours. ‘G’day,’ was the total of our conversation. The next day we passed a few
times, a bit of a cheery smile in the rain, just aware of each other. The third
day, Sunday, we stopped to talk. Well, well well. Finnish, been in Oz for 45
years or so. Confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Later joined the Finnish
Pentecostals. Sometime in there he was a youth Pastor with them. No longer
formally worships. Had enough of the guilt and shame constantly laid on by both
camps. But, Oh, how special he is.
Seppo has as
pure an understanding of the gospel as I have encountered in many a year.
· Jesus died for my sins? He became my
sin!
· The only righteousness the matters
can never be gained by performance… it’s only the righteousness of Jesus Christ
that counts.
· The only thing required of us is
believing trust in Christ and his work.
· Anything more than faith is sin and
our Lord alone puts that faith in our hearts.
· Of course we have stuff to do… lots
of loving… but I’m free to do it, free to choose love, because the Spirit of
Jesus has filled me with Christ’s love in the first place. I don’t have to be
manipulated or coerced…
That was the
gist of it. Not necessarily the exact words, but the pair of us sat at a table
in the wilderness rejoicing as brothers about our remarkable heavenly Father,
bubbling in the Spirit over the grace come to us in the Son. In that
conversation we worshipped. And my heart was singing as it ended.
May our Lord
bless your year with lots of Seppo’s.
Fred
posted by Fred Veerhuis at 5:46 PM
1 Comments:
Isn't it a crime that church can get in the way of our worship of the Christ Child? The very fact that He came to this Earth as a human and left His father's side was so that we would realise that we have direct access at all times to the Trinity. How dare the church take that away from us with their own agenda. Anyway don't get me started because I won't stop!!! We can take heart that Jesus is Lord and our Lord and gave up everything for us. What a statement! Would I give up everything for someone? Especially someone who despises me and wants me to die? What a gift we have received.
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