Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2:13-14

I am, by history, by experience and by choice, a Protestant Christian. Fine tune Protestant to Reformed, and Reformed to Presbyterian and there you have it. But, more importantly than the Presbyterian or even the Protestant part is the designation of “Christian.”

Fact is, what floats my boat most of all in terms of affiliation is coming together for worship as a community in an experience where it is clear that what we are up to – and why we are there – is the worship of God. Not the pastor, not the Bible, not the particular form of worship, not the doctrinal nuances, nor the religious structure but God – the Creator, the Son, the Holy Spirit – God.

So Rebekah and I went out in wintery Poland and walked to Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church for their English speaking mass. And it just so happened that it was snowing as we walked.

It was a beautiful service of worship, and what struck me so clearly and so refreshingly was the sense of veneration and respect and awe for God; it was was not just presented by the clergy but obviously a spiritual focus that permeated the congregation.

God was so obviously present in the sanctuary. The Holy Spirit was evidently at work in and through both the leaders in worship and those participating. There is no doubt that these good people love Jesus.

Receiving the blessing:

Rebekah and I went forward to receive a blessing during communion, even though we absolutely reject the belief that, “Those who are not in a state of grace or not Catholic may not receive the sacrament…” We went up to receive the blessing because worship is about God, and not about who is right and who is wrong – and we were there to worship.

So, here is some food for thought, friends. If we are not attending church because we do not agree with something, or because the form of worship is “not my style”, or because we have gotten out of the habit, remember this: worship is not about us it is about God. And when we approach attending church in that frame then it is very good for our souls and it is a beautiful experience for God too.

Be faithful in worship, and I will see you in church soon – DEREK