How Do We Come to Worship?

Matthew 19

¹³ Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Let the children come to me.  As I look at those words it brings to mind questions about the way in which we come to Jesus.  Or about the way we “allow” others to come to Jesus.  We may have heard the story of the church filled with the wealthy and the important people of a region.  Men coming in their suits and ties.  Women in their beautiful dresses.  The preacher being known for his eloquent words.  People flocked to the church to be able to hear him.  Seats of prominence have been given to the most important people.

One Sunday a young man walks into church to hear this preacher.  He comes in wearing torn jeans, an old AC-DC t-shirt, and bare feet.  As he makes his way to the front and an older man follows him.  Everyone respects this man too much to stop him, but they are waiting for him to escort the man to the back where he can be unnoticed.  As the young man sits on the floor at the front the older man puts his hand on the young man’s shoulders and asks, “May I Join you?”  He sits on the floor with the young man for the service to show him the welcome he needs.

We often do well at welcoming people in the way they come, for how they are dressed.  But do we welcome, and do we come, truly as we are?  Coming as we have sung over the years:

Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Come, just as you are before your God
Come

Do we come as we are?  With our struggles from the week through which we have just passed?  Do we come with physical illnesses, or mental illnesses?  Do we come with our questions to God?  Do we come with our anger and disappointment about the way life has gone, or the way prayers are not answered as we wish?  Do we come struggling to fit into the mold we have tried to set up for how we are supposed to be as we follow?  Do we come with our sins still hanging on to us, clinging to us, hoping to be transformed and finally be rid of them?  Struggling with them, like the addiction they have become.

How will we come to worship this week?  Will we come as we are?  Being open and honest before God with our selves.  Coming to the place of worship to praise him where we are and to be transformed by the Spirit as we continue to be renewed in our life of faith. 

Willingly we choose to surrender our lives
Willingly our knees will bow
With all our hearts, soul, mind and strength
We gladly choose you now

Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Oh, come, just as you are before your God
Come
Come