Flashy or Faithful
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Titus 2:1
Female cardinals are stunningly beautiful and I am just seeing it. She is olive green with salmon colored accents on top of her head and under her wings.
Up until now it is the bright red males that have always caught my eye. But, this winter I started paying close attention to a bird feeder close enough for me to see who is enjoying the seed. The beauty of these females has taken my breath away.
Why? Why am I seeing now what has been right under my nose for so long? Though I don’t have a specific answer to the question, it has caused me to look at where else in my life I have chased after the pretty, bright or loud things while completely missing the true beauty right before me.
Majesty in Worship
I was reminded of one area in a conversation this afternoon where someone brought up how we have given up some of the majesty of worship by meeting in schools or building large, industrial type auditorium’s rather than works of beauty for our God. I, too, love the majesty of a beautiful building, especially for worship.
I go to a church that rents a Christian school. We turn a cafeteria into a sanctuary every Sunday. It is not pretty but I am experiencing and sharing true worship with people who love God and His Word more than many others we have worshiped with in the past.
The others had the pretty sanctuaries and the up-to-date technology that put songs overhead, and plenty of orchestral accompaniments if we wanted it. Compared to where I worship now, they were quite majestic (though probably not compared to other church buildings).
Subtle Beauty
As I was looking at these female cardinals, seeing their subtle beauty is even more than the males’, I realized that the bright and flashy, though beautiful, are not necessarily preferable. In my current church, the Law-Word of God is preached from the pulpit. The brothers and sisters I worship with are sincerely trying to raise their children to love and serve the Lord. The abolition of abortion is a priority, as is the teaching that God’s Word speaks to every area of life.
I am so grateful for the not-so-obvious beauty of the teaching and preaching, the fellowship, and the accountability, that I am not moved by the lack of formal beauty in my surroundings on Sunday mornings.
I love the majesty of a beautiful cathedral just as I enjoy the beauty of the bright red male cardinal. But, I am delighted to see how truly gorgeous his mate is in her less brilliant display of color, just as I will continue to worship in “lesser’ surroundings recognizing the greater beauty being offered to all of us – especially the children and (my) grandchildren in attendance.
I clearly allowed the brightness of the male cardinal to distract my attention from the impressive beauty of his mate. Have we done that with how/why we choose a church? Are we going for the flashy delivery or looking for the underlying beauty of faithfulness to the Word of God?
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