Paving the Way

About four years ago, the church to which I now belong introduced a contemporary service; and I thank God that they did.

I grew up in a traditional church with candles, robes, choir and an organ. It was formal. It was conventional. I went to Sunday school and learned Bible stories and loved them, but in my teens I got lost.

So I left the church, looking for another way—a better way. And I spent more than 20 years searching. When our eldest was three, we decided to try the church again, and brought her to an Easter service. She went off to Sunday school, all smiles. I wanted it so badly for her, but I just couldn’t feel it for me.

Then about two years later, we learned of a house church, investigated, and joined. That house church was small, it was safe, and it was unconventional. It was the unconventional element that was vital for me.

Don’t you just love John the Baptist? He was this non-conforming, unconventional wild man. He ate things no one else ate, dressed the way no one else dressed, and spent all kinds of time in seclusion talking to God. Yet despite appearances, he was the one who paved the way for Jesus Christ. He was the one who prepared the people for the Messiah.

After our little house church came to an end, we were invited to a contemporary service. When I walked through the doors, the first person to greet me was a young lady with a pierced eyebrow, jeans, a rugby shirt and a radiant smile.

“Welcome,” she said, “I’m the youth leader here. It’s so nice to meet you.”

About 10 minutes later, we were invited into the service, so I put my coffee down.

“No, no,” I was told, “you can bring your coffee in.”

What?

So I did. In an act I thought might make the cross fall from its place on the wall, I brought my coffee in.

Nothing happened.

As I took my place in a pew, I looked around and found the minister, eyes closed, enjoying the band’s music. He was dressed in casual pants, and a white shirt underneath a sporty vest. On his feet were Birkenstocks.

I was fascinated.

The service lasted less than an hour. I don’t remember much except trying to make sense of it all. Many of the elements that were central to my Christian experience were not there. No formal dress—everyone was casual. No organ—there was a 14-year-old smashing away on a drum kit. No ceremony—just an obvious, authentic love for Jesus Christ.

I wanted to come back. And so I did; I came back.

It’s been more than two years since that day. Now I can attend a more traditional service and actually hear the message. Underneath contrasting appearances, the lesson of each service is exactly the same.

God loves me. So much so, that He sent His son to die for me.

And I’ve been given new life.

You see, that contemporary service was essential to me in making way for the Lord. It was my John the Baptist: An unconventional messenger that prepared my heart for the arrival of Jesus Christ.