Colossians 3:16 - Feasting and celebrating! Or not so much...

"The Word of Christ let it be dwelling in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, with psalms hymns [and] songs spiritual in grace singing in your hearts to God..." 

-Let a wealth of the Word of Christ (remember that the Word IS Christ) take up residence in your life, in both your mind and your heart.  What does this look like, and how is it going to happen?  Well, I’ll tell you one thing, it’s not going to happen by merely listening to one 30-minute sermon once a week.  It’s not going to happen with a hurried glance at a few verses before work or bed.  But what could happen is that every member of an assembly is so steeped in the Word that EVERY member is positioned to teach and admonish one another, not just the pastors or the elders or so-called paid professionals.  What could happen is that I spend enough time in God’s Word that I get a really good taste of how sweet it is (Psalm 19.10, 119.103) and how it fills my heart with joy and delight (Jeremiah 15.16).  I take long deep drafts of this milk and honey and I feast on this spiritual steak.  It’s no longer a little dab’ll do ya, a tiny morsel here and there or nibbling on someone else’s leftovers.  I acquire an insatiable taste for God’s Word and actually get to the place where I can’t get enough of it.  I can’t wait to spend time reading and studying and meditating on it (Psalm 1.2, 119.97).  I might even choose to spend time in the Word over tv or sports or movies or food or beverage (altho surely it’s ok spending some time in the Word over a nice cup of chai tea with a spot of milk or cream!) - I might even have two ‘quiet times’ in a single day!  And I begin to get so much of this living-and-active Word that it makes me as wise as (if not wiser than) my teachers (Psalm 119.99, 119.130, Deuteronomy 4.6).  I get to the place where I really am able to wisely teach and even admonish the fellow members of my assembly.  And yes, this is something where indulgence is a really, really good thing long-term.  Of course it helps if my starting point is being convinced that this Word is actually true and inspired by God...  :)  But how is my Word-diet?  If my physical body depended on my intake of the Word of Christ, what adjective would best describe the state of my body?  Starving?  Emaciated, perhaps?  ’Like babies that were just born, you should long for the pure milk of God’s Word. It will help you grow up as believers.’ (1Peter 2.2)

-You know what people do when they experience something really good, when they have uncontainable joy and gratitude?  They sing.  Sometimes they dance.  We are talking about the natural (and unrestrained) response of people who have experienced the blessings and goodness of God.  Yes, sometiimes the fire needs to be stoked and people need to be encouraged or reminded to celebrate, but this IS celebration, and it is contagious.  And the focus is God.  We sing about Him, and we definitely sing to Him (songs in the SECOND Person).  We should find ourselves singing to the Lord in our hearts and celebrating His goodness as we go through our day, and we should certainly be celebrating God when we gather together with our assembly.  That is what Sunday morning should be, and I should be finding myself celebrating and singing in my heart at other times throughout my day and week.  If I am at the place where there is no singing in my heart, no celebration in my life, if I am at the place where I come into services late because I’ve a mind to skip the singing, I might need to take a closer look at my heart and whether I might be robbing God of some of the very celebration for which He designed and rescued me in the first place.  Even Paul and Silas beaten and chained in prison were singing.  Sunday morning (and all the other mornings afternoons and evenings) is not about me.  It’s not just about me hearing a good message or punching my spiritual time clock.  It’s about entering in to that for which I am formed in the first place: “Celebrate GOD. Sing together—everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof! Good people, cheer GOD! Right-living people sound best when praising. Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play His praise on a grand piano! Invent your own new song to Him; give Him a trumpet fanfare!” (Psalm 32.11-33.3)

(sigh) I have a long, long way to go...