A Test

Operator, get me Norfolk, Virginia, one four ten oh nine...tell’em the poor boy is calling...and I’ve lost a pair of underwear...must have been when … the ‘Hound broke down in downtown Birmingham…

• Elvis,
  Promised Land
  (Uh, rather more or less - Socks and underwear are such transient things, you know?)

I used to read The Reader’s Digest on a semi-regular basis and loved the bit they called “Word Power” (or words to that effect, it’s been a long time and a lot of electricity has passed through my brain in the interim). It would give a page of words and multiple choice answers for what they meant.

Due to several encounters with people, some accidental reading and my usual train of thought (which may have actually left the station on time - huh), and the Holy Spirit within, I hit upon this idea: to wit, I will give you a list of words that as a Christian/follower of Christ you should probably know in order to appreciate just what you “signed up” for when you became a Christian and how you should be living.

No multiple choice answers to chose from. You’re going to have to sit down and figure it out. With a Bible, with a Strong’s Concordance, with an online copy of W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (I found my copy in Norway! I know!).

WARNING, WILL ROBINSON!

Do attempt to stay away from “study” Bibles, especially those based on the Ryrie Study Bible.  Oh, the text of Scripture is fine, it’s just that Charles Caldwell Ryrie had a bad frame of reference - in short, picking up a ton of eschatological heresy and a little blasphemy from the Society of Jesus by way of The Church of the Brethren so...You know, GIGO - Garbage in, Garbage Out.

THIS CONCLUDES THE WARNING, WILL ROBINSON

I’ll give you a sample of the test to get you started:

Worship

I entered the eternal Kingdom of GOD at age 10, in a little stone church in the north end of Ottawa, Kansas. And prior to my confession and baptism I had basically been “in the Church” from birth. So. 46 years as a disciple of Christ - and not a lot to show for it either.

But I digress.

In all my time “in church,” “going to church,” etc., I knew just as most of you that Worship meant going to church on Sunday morning. You sing some songs, “greet” those around you, hear the announcements, hear a sermon, have communion, take up an offering, have the benediction, go out to eat Sunday dinner. Somewhere in there, you oldsters may have said or sang the doxology. Either Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow or Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. I do miss the doxology.

But it’s interesting. W.E. Vine, in Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words has this to say as a footnote on the Biblical Greek definition of worship:

“Notes: (1) The worship of God is nowhere defined in Scripture. A consideration of the above verbs shows that it is not confined to praise; broadly it may be regarded as the direct acknowledgement to God, of His nature, attributes, ways and claims, whether by the outgoing of the heart in praise and thanksgiving or by deed done in such acknowledgment…”

Now, the above note by the lexicographer does not preclude what we have all pretty much know as worship. But, it certainly expands the horizon. Essentially, to worship God is to live life in HIm, 24x7x365.

“Corporate” worship - what we used to call “going to church” -  is only a small piece of things if you do the following math: Assuming 16 hours in a waking day x 7 days/week = 112 waking hours/week. Average worship (average level of personal commitment) period at a “community” type independent congregation = 2 hours/week. This represents 0.018 percentage of our waking hours per week or almost 2 percent of our time per week (2hrs “worship” per week divided by 112 waking hours in the week).

Assuming an 8 hour workday (8 hours x 5 days x 48 weeks) with 4 weeks of vacation or absences/year then you give to work 1,920 hours per annum or 36 percent of your waking hours to work - not counting vacations, etc. And on a 48 week “year” you’re still only giving an annualized 0.018 percent of your time to God.

Feel free to drill down as deep as you want to go in the numbers but unless you are excessively devoted to your congregation (small groups, Wednesday night Bible study, praise band rehearsal, etc.), any way you cut it your worship of God (as most of us know it) is among the lowest percentages of time you expend on anything or anyone.

So perhaps you should consider exactly what worship is and do accordingly.

There’s the definition of worship (it’s living our lives in and for and to Him) that is probably more in agreement with the concept of following Christ. IF you accept the definition in toto and attempt to live by it, what’s life like now? Do you not have a new understanding of your place and role in the Kingdom? Do you not feel differently? Do you act differently?

There’s your example for this test. Do you know what the following words mean in the context of YOUR Faith and the Scriptures and how they impact your life both temporally and spiritually.

1. LORD
2. Savior
3. Salvation
4. Mercy
5. Grace
6. Faith
7. Righteous/Righteousness
8. Holy/Holiness
9. Perfection
10. Perseverance
11. Patience
12. Love
13. Brotherly love
14. The Word (see John 1) vs the word
15. to have the mind of Christ
16. Baptism

And that ends the test. Good luck. Godspeed. No grading, no need to turn the test in. No cheating. I'll take questions but only if they’re nice.

Until next time, may the peace of Christ be with you,

† Scott, VDM ev

Oh...prepare...the storm is coming! ►insert maniacal laughter here◄