Going to Church

It's a rare thing when I completely plagerize another's work for a sermon, but after reading Eugene Peterson's thoughts on Psalm 122 I knew that he was writing exactly what I needed to say.  Much of the material for this morning's lesson came from A Long Odedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society.  Chapter 4 is entitled, "Worship" and is an exposition of Psalm 122.  I loved the illustration Peterson used to close out the chapter but felt it didn't communicate well for a sermon.  He concluded his thoughts by talking about the pragmatic age we live and wrote, "It is inevitable that we ask regarding worship, is it worth it?  Can you justify the time and energy and expense involved in gathering Christians together in worship?  Well,
'look at the mower in the summer's day, with so much to cut down ere the sun sets.  He pauses in his labour--is he a sluggard?  He looks for his stone, and begins to draw it up and down his scythe, with rink-atink, rink-atink.  Is that idle music--is he wasting precious moments?  How much he might have mowed while he has been ringing out those notes on his scythe!  But he is sharpening his tool, and he will do far more when once again he gives his strength to those long sweeps which lay the grass prostrate in rows before him.'" [This illustration was taken from a sermon by Charles Spurgeon]