Part 2: You say "will-worship" like it's a bad thing!

In my last post I responded to several articles in the newsletter "The RVing Christian" by Bro. Arlis Richardson (Volume 4, Number 6, June 2007) regarding some derogatory comments he made about the activities in our Christian community here at Adventureland. Let me say at the outset that I have no ill feelings about Bro. Arlis. He seems like a nice enough guy, and anyone who will wear those funky hats, has to be a fun-loving dude of some sort.

Brother Arlis labeled our activities "will-worship". He quoted, in one of his articles another article, apparently from another periodical ("Seek the Old Paths" by Garland Robinson, March 2007, page 19) which defines the term, "will-worship" as " . . . from a single original word which signifies that which has it’s origin in the will of men."

Brother Arlis then went on to equate us with the idol worshipers at Athens (Acts 17), and asserted that we are doing what we are doing to ease our consciences only. Last time I told you how I felt about what he said. This time I want talk about that term, "will-worship".

I have to confess that I had been unfamiliar with this term, even though it is taken from Colossians 2:23. It appears in those words only in the KJV, and having studied New Testament Greek, I have developed a preference for the more accurate versions. Let’s take a look for a moment, not just at Colossians 2:23, but at the whole paragraph.

"Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourself to regulations-- "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," all of which concern things which perish with the using -- according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion ("will worship" KJV), false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." (Colossians 2:20-23 NKJV)

So it seems that what he is talking about here is not pagan idol worshipers at all, or even necessarily those who hold worship services to assuage a guilty conscience, but about legalistic believers, who are imposing added rules and regulations to their faith.

But let’s talk about that term, "will-worship" for a moment. As we do, please understand that I do not intend my comments to be an exposition of Colossians 2, but an "expansion" of the idea of "will-worship".

I agree with Bro. Robinson’s comment that the term originates from a single Greek word and that it implies that which originates in the will of men. My first thought, however was, "Isn’t that, at least in part, what is supposed to happen?" Isn’t worship supposed to be an act of our will?

Jesus said, in response to a question from the Samaritan woman at the well, regarding where was the proper place to worship:

" . . . the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4: 23-24 NLT)

Isn’t this a part of what the Lord is saying? If I am going to worship in spirit and in truth, doesn’t that mean that I have to do so because I want to? Worship is, at least in part, an act of will, from a grateful heart; my spirit to His Spirit.

In II Timothy 3:5 Paul warns us about those who practice godly forms, but deny the power of God. Certainly these are they who do not worship in spirit and in truth. Certainly these fit the description of those he talks about in Colossians 2, not those of us who are experiencing the power of Christ in our lives. Paul further says in II Cor 3:6.

" He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life."

The Psalmist said:

"I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High."
(Psalm 9:1-2 NLT, italics added)

And so will I, brother Arlis. The pagans at Athens were worshiping an unknown god. I know my father God, I know the Lord Jesus Christ, I know the Holy Spirit. And I will worship Him, not only every Lord’s day, but every single day, 24/7/365!

So then brother Arlis, you’ve had your say, and I have had mine. It is time for us to move on, and pursue that common goal of teaching His word, and helping our brothers and sisters to stay connected to Him and to the Body of Christ as they travel and live in their RVs . Certainly you too know the Lord Jesus Christ, and know what His power can do. May God bless you in your efforts.

Thanks for sharing this moment with me today.

A line was crossed

I was going to say nice things about him.

After all, his goal, as he states it in his newsletter, is to "serve Christians and the RV community . . . as they spend time traveling and living in their motor homes and travel trailers while here on earth." Well, I have to say that’s my goal too, so there is one thing we have in common.

He describes the denomination that he belongs to, the well known "Church of Christ" as "not subscribing to any church discipline, creed or manual other than the Bible". That pretty much describes my vision of the Church, and the Christian life too.

I am fully aware that he and his denomination see things in the Word of God that I have never been able to see in my many years of study and I respect his differences and his right to practice his faith as he sees fit. I respect his right to remain aloof from the Christian community here at Adventureland for the sake of his conscience. I have no intention in this blog, or in any other forum, to engage him in debate. I’m not really much of a debater anyway.

I agree too with brother Arlis, that there are a lot of really lame worship services in some RV parks. I have written about that in my book. Just for the record, let me say that I don’t think that RV parks hold the patent on lame worship services, or what he calls "will worship". There is also far too much of this going on in the Church at large as well.

But a line was crossed when he compared the activities of the Adventureland congregation, none of which he has ever observed, as being the same type of thing as what Paul encountered among the pagan idol worshipers at Athens in Acts, chapter seventeen, and accused us of holding worship services only to assuage our guilt. Brother Arlis, you have no clue as to what is going on inside our Worship services, and our Bible Studies, as you have not observed any of them.

I’m sorry brother Arlis, I don’t have a name to call you back. I’m not really into name-calling either. I just want to point out three things:

1. What has happened here at Adventureland over the last eight years is a move of the Holy Spirit such as I have not witnessed before in my lifetime. I am sorry you are missing it.

2. Jesus once replied to a disciple’s skepticism by saying ". . . believe me for the sake of the works [you have seen me do] themselves." (John 14:10). The evidence that God is moving within the Christian community at Adventureland is seen in the lives that are being changed.

3. My "last word" comes from God’s word, Romans 14:4:

" Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should."

Your use of the term "will worship" from Colossians 2:23, was indeed an interesting one. If God is willing, I will write about that in my next post.

In the mean time, I will worship Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, and I will walk in His Holy Spirit in my daily life.

Thanks for spending this moment with me today.

A Story from Chuck

Our speaker this morning at the Adventureland Chapel was Chuck Strittmather, a former pastor, now with the Navigators. Chuck is an anointed and very dedicated man of God and a very apt teacher of the scriptures. He is also a great storyteller. Chuck will be forever famous among those of us at the Adventureland congregation for his story about the mule and the line in that story that said "shake it off; step on it. . . ." I’ll share that one with you on another occasion, but I feel compelled by the Spirit to share with you the story that he told at the end of his message this morning.

The story takes place in England during the time of the Second World War. England had been ravaged by bombs and missiles during that war, as I’m sure many already know. Food rationing was a daily reality for the English, leaving many to get by on much less than they would have liked.

A little boy was walking down the street one day and passed a bakery. He stopped to look in the window. An American soldier walked up beside him.

"Sure smells good, doesn’t it" said the G.I. to the boy.

"Yes, it sure does!" he replied.

"It really looks good too!" the soldier said, to which the youngster replied again in the affirmative. The soldier then invited the boy to go with him inside the bakery. He told the little guy to pick out anything he wanted, and after much deliberation the lad picked out two rolls. The American soldier, of course paid the tab.

The young boy then thanked the soldier enthusiastically and ran off. Moments later he returned to the G.I., still enjoying the rolls the soldier had bought him and said:

"Can I ask you a question sir?"

"What’s that?" said the G.I.

"Are you God?"

The moral to the story is, of course, that this simple act of kindness was probably no big thing to an American soldier. They were notorious for the fact that they had an abundance of money in their pockets, and were always doing things like this for children that they encountered in Europe. But to a small, hungry English boy, who had gone without such pleasures as long as he could remember, this simple act of kindness was what he might expect from no less than God Himself!

The American G.I. was, of course, not God, but in this case had been His representative. Let us all look for these small (or maybe not so small) things that we can do so we too can be His representatives, the Body of Christ, in this world.

Thanks for spending this moment with me today.