Church Service, Anyone? (Part One)

Remember the old Hefty commercials? The ones declaring the other bags to be "WIMPY WIMPY WIMPY!" ??

Well, I can identify with those no-name trash bags. . . .

In Nehemiah, the exiles of Judah have returned to Jerusalem and under Nehemiah's leadership have rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem under great duress. (Kelli has a great post on this.)

After the wall is completed, they assemble and Ezra brings out the Book of the Law. All the people stood up as soon as he opened it and "he read it aloud from daybreak till noon....And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law." (Nehemiah 8:3)

Daybreak. Until noon.

Sooo, does that sound like your church?! Can you imagine the announcement in the bulletin: "Next Sunday our service will begin at 6:00 a.m. and conclude at 12:00 noon. The service will be held outside; seating will not be necessary."

And actually, this was all spontaneous! He didn't tell them to stand. They could all see him because he was up on a platform. As soon as he opened the scroll, they were on their feet.

Oh, and they "had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law." (Neh. 8:9) And in their response "they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground." (Neh. 8:6)

Nehemiah told them not to grieve because it was a day to rejoice and sent them off to celebrate (The Feast of Tabernacles), which they did for 7 days, like they had not celebrated it since the days of Joshua for "their joy was very great." (Neh. 8:17) Each day Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God.

So they got that out of the way - back to normal business, right?

Chapter 9 - they gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and dust on their heads. "They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God." (Neh. 9:3)

Three hours standing and reading.

Another three hours in confession and worship.

Been to prayer meetin' lately?

Now of course, the point is not to watch the clock and set our minds on doing things for a specified amount of time.

But when we are truly lost in God's Word, confronted and convicted of our sin, and overcome by His Holiness and Glory, the passage of time will be irrelevant.

I don't know about you, but my joints and marrow are feeling a little pulled apart.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Lord, forgive me when I'm more concerned with the minutes and minutiae of my life than what really matters. May it not take an exile for me to be on my feet and on my face before You.