How Sweet and Awful is the Place

Church was today. I guess this should be obvious from the fact that this post is dated on a Sunday, but I felt like starting a blog somewhat like a normal journal entry for once. I must say that I am continually awed by the fact that we are able to gather together--a group of sinners who have sinned so grievously, and worship a perfect and holy God as a covenant body. This is a priveledge that is often taken for granted and not weighted properly. When the leader gets up and says, "We have gathered together to worship a covenant holy God" (or something to that effect), we should be taken aback and in awe instead of thinking that this is what he is supposed to say before starting the first song.

The hymn How Sweet and Awful (#469) is one of the hymns that are written about the time of worship that we have every Lord's Day. We've oversung this song in our RUF recently, but there's a reason for this--because the song is so wonderful and the lyrics to it are so powerful and penetrating. One of the things that we are so apt to ignore or downplay is the wonderous thing that is the Divine Service. What a travesty--what a trespass on God's command to honor His Sabbath Day.

I want to carefully remember and honor the Lord's Day and not take for granted the wonderous priveledge that we have to come into His presence and worship as a covenant community. When we remember the awesome holiness of our God and the wonderous love that caused Him to send His Son to die to ransom wretched sinners and bring them to the feast this hymn speaks of, how can we help but be moved to the point of tears of thankfulness? We should earnestly desire to come to the Lord in repentance and a desire to serve Him forever for His mercy upon us. May this attitude be reflected in our hearts, words, and deeds on the Lord's Day (and every other day).

"How sweet and awful is the place with Christ within the doors, while everlasting love displays the choicest of her stores." (Watts)

Luke