The dearest place on earth?
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night…for you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. (Psalm 92:1-2, 4)
The dearest place on earth?
The 19th century preacher C.H. Spurgeon called church ‘the dearest place on earth.’ But the church can often be a place that we find difficult to think of as ‘dear’ or ‘lovely’.
TV presenter Noel Edmonds in contrast said this: “Church is the dullest experience this country has to offer.” Sadly it’s a view shared by many. So why do we gather as a church on Sunday?
We gather at church on Sunday not to be bored! Or depressed! No it’s meant to be a blessing, a help to us as friends of Jesus as we live the Christian life.
Along with hearing God’s word to us through the Bible and bringing him our needs in prayer, part of our gathering together involves singing. Psalm 92 says that ‘it is good to praise the LORD.’
As we remember what the LORD has done, what He’s like. It should give us reason to sing. It should make us glad. Because God is worthy of all our praises!
Part of the answer to gathering then, is because we want to remember the greatness of God and to praise His name! And to look forward to the glorious future that we will one day enjoy in God’s presence forevermore. As writer Tony Merida puts it in his book ‘Gather’:
“Remember that when we gather to sing, we join with a great history of saints who have sung God’s praise, and one day we will do it in the new creation. This gives us a sense of wonder and dignity. This is our heritage, and this is where history is going!”
Church really should be the ‘dearest place on earth.’ Because it is the place that, in gathering together as the people of God, we get to sing of all that God has done. And we look forward to where we are going – one day being gathered around God’s throne, praising him forever.
So please pray with me: Lord, this Sunday as we gather together, help us to remember all that you have done, and tune our hearts to sing your praises rightly as we remember where we are heading, to our home with you forever. Amen
With love in Christ,
Ben Wells (Associate Minister)