I wrote earlier about “doubting Thomas” and suggested he could be known as “seeking Thomas” because he wanted his own encounter with Jesus. This leads to an obvious implication for ministry: I need to help folks learn to have their own encounters with Jesus: initially and daily. That’s why I push so hard for daily time with God. Meeting with God is for everyone.

However, the challenge is that not everyone wants such an encounter. This problem goes back at least to Exodus 20, not counting Adam and Eve hiding in the garden in Genesis 3. Here’s what the folks at the foot of Mount Sinai said:

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” (Exodus 20.18, 19, ESV, emphasis mine)

A friend of mine tried to help his aging father meet with God through daily scripture reading and prayer. His dad’s response? “Leave me alone. If the pastor wants me to know something from the Bible, he’ll tell me!”

Since time with God is one of the first things I teach when I meet with a man, I was surprised when my friend had slipped out of the habit. When he told me, I wrote him this note:

I am surprised that you seem to be substituting “Our Daily Bread” for your own time with God. Please recall what we learned about hearing from God directly. “Our Daily Bread” is a fine publication, has been for decades. But it is, essentially, a record of other people’s times with God. Babies need pre-digested food, but grown-ups feed themselves. Parents feed others.

You said you don’t know where to read. The best thing to do is pick a book and stay with it until you’re finished. Why don’t you try the Gospel of John? Not even a whole chapter each day—just a paragraph. Start with John 1:1 and do a paragraph a day until you’re finished.

I hope I’ve earned the right to speak to you directly. I’m praying you’ll take action.

I’m pleased to report he did take action, starting that very day. Here’s the verse I closed my note with:

Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD. (Proverbs 8.34, 35, ESV)

Yesterday I shared the new hymn about our scattered church gatherings. And earlier I wrote about the different ways churches are handling Sunday morning. Our church continues the Zoom approach including putting us in “rooms” after to visit. With the interaction, it’s been the next best thing to being together.

But my friend Ray Bandi in New Hampshire told me about a church up there that’s using a completely different approach. Instead of using live-stream or Zoom or live-stream via Facebook, the pastor is developing an order of worship and sending it to heads of households who are then running “church” in their homes! And he uses it as a leadership opportunity by bringing those heads of household together for a coaching session mid-week. Ray told him, and I agree: “This may be the most important thing you do at this church!”

What’s better than doing what Ephesians 4.11, 12 commands?

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry… (Ephesians 4.11, 12, ESV)

Now I’d be the first to say that there’s way more to ministry than having folks conduct a worship service in their home, but think of the engagement this practice promotes!

It reminds me of the time when we took our kids to Christmas Eve service at First Presbyterian Church, Colorado Springs. It’s a large church with a relatively small sanctuary, so they had multiple Christmas Eve services. We aimed for the 4:00p service, arriving at 3:30p as the previous service let out. We found a LONG line in front of us with no hope that we could get in. So, we picked up a few copies of the bulletin, went home, and ran the service ourselves. We let the kids read the various scriptures, we sang all the carols, including lighting the candles for Silent Night. Everyone loved it, and they still remember that service.

Do you remember that Passover, the primary feast in the Jewish calendar is a home celebration?

You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, “What do you mean by this service?” you shall say, “It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.” (Exodus 12.24 – 27, ESV)