In the 1939 film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a Gypsy woman, Esmerelda, is being pursued by the authorities. In her desperate attempt to get away she runs through the doors of the cathedral. When the pursuers are about to go in after her one of the priests stops them claiming “sanctuary”. Out in the city Esmerelda was vulnerable, but the moment she crossed through the doors of the church she was safe. The sanctuary became a place of refuge for her; a place away from danger; a place where she would hope to find peace.

There was something special about the sanctuary. It was not common ground. It was holy. The word “holy” basically means “set apart”. The sanctuary was a place, set apart from all the common places in the city. Outside you would find the carpenter’s shop, the meat vendor, the bakery, the coffee shop, etc. People would be playing, working, going about their business. There would be vendors buying and selling trinkets and food. In the Old Testament days small and medium sized animals would be sold for sacrifices. But inside the sanctuary everything was different. The sanctuary represented the place where the presence of God was understood; a place where people can come and get away from it all and spend time with God.

Today we consider the meeting area for our worship services a sanctuary. It is set apart. The thing that makes it a sanctuary is not the building itself nor is it the decorations. Three weeks ago Heather and I had the privilege of worshiping in a church in Whistler BC that held its service in a gymnasium. Off to the sides there were basketball hoops. But while God’s people were meeting together in that place for the purpose of worship, it was a sanctuary. It didn’t look anything like our sanctuary, but it was still a sanctuary. It was a place to come and pray and worship the Lord in the company of others who were seeking to do the same. After the service there was coffee and tea served in the gym and some kids did toss around a basketball. But that was after the service. During the service it was a sanctuary - a place of prayer and worship.

I believe that today people are looking for something out of the ordinary; a place where they can put all the things of the world behind them and find refuge in the presence of God; a place that is set apart. One of the most beautiful things is to see people use the sanctuary as a place of prayer, praying individually or one person praying for another. Yes, people can pray at home or anywhere else, but there is something unique about praying in the sanctuary, particularly before or after the worship service.

At the ball park it is perfectly reasonable to come and go as you please, go get a cup of coffee or eat a hot dog while you’re watching. The ball park is an ordinary place. The sanctuary is not. How then can we keep the sanctuary from becoming ordinary and at the same time make people feel comfortable in coming? That is always a difficult thing to balance but I believe it begins with respect. Respect for where we are and what we are doing and respect for those around us who are also worshiping the Lord.

We definitely don’t want to give someone a difficult time because their young child makes some noise. Children are always welcome, even noisy infants. But neither do we want to treat the sanctuary like a coffee shop, coming and going as we please and entering into ordinary conversations. Somewhere we need to find the right balance.

Whereas Esmerelda ran into the church for physical safety, we come to the sanctuary to get away from the ordinary and enter into the realm of the extraordinary - an encounter with the living God. I encourage you to pray about that encounter before the service begins and then use the foyer for fellowship for as long as you like following the service. That way we can both honour God and encourage one another with our conversation.

Pastor Norman

Robert Service’s poem, The Spell of the Yukon, describes the lure of gold that drew many people to the Yukon seeking to find their fortune. In their futile search for gold, and after “hurling their youth in a grave”, Robert Service describes the real treasure that was found; the beauty of the Yukon wilderness; a beauty that created a longing to come back.

Many of us have experienced spell of the Yukon. We’ve come, many have stayed, some have left only to return again. There is something about this land of rugged mountains, cool refreshing streams, and abundant wildlife that draws us back. If there is anywhere we could go to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, it is here in the wilderness of the Yukon.

This is especially true this year as we are actually experiencing “summer”. The bright sunshine encourages us to take advantage of the great outdoors as often as we can. I know I look forward to any and all wilderness experiences. There is something special about the wilderness and the beauty of God’s creation that draws us to Himself. One of the songs we sing says, “Up to the mountain we love to go to find the presence of the Lord”. When Heather and I enjoy a few days on a remote river we certainly do sense the awe and presence of God. Perhaps that is why our Lord would go up on the mountain side to pray.

While it is true that the Lord withdrew himself to quiet places to pray, He was equally careful to connect with the people He came to seek, serve and save. He had quiet times in order that he would be strengthened and focused when he returned to the crowds.

We all need personal quiet time with the Lord. That needs to be a priority. We all need to “get away” and find strength and focus in the presence of the Lord. This is a good thing. But we need to be careful that we don’t live our Christian lives in isolation, that our outdoor adventures don’t keep us from coming together as the Body of Christ.

When someone is away on a weekend as part of their personal or family holiday, that is a good thing. However if we tend to be absent on frequent weekends because we want to experience the wilderness, I’m not sure that’s a healthy choice - even if we can worship God in the beauty of His creation.

As God’s people, we are the body of Christ. We are the Church. The word for “church” in the Greek means the people of God, the collective body of believers, the congregation or assembly. The Church isn’t a building or an organization, it is the coming together of God’s people. It is a living group of people who are collectively focused on the Lord. In other words, we don’t go to church, we are the Church. That’s why the writer to the Hebrews says (Hebrews 10;25), “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The Church, the Body of Christ, can not be complete unless we come together. In the early days of the Church, Acts 2 tells us that the followers of Christ met together daily. David wrote in Psalm 122, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.” Why? Because there is something unique, something special, and something very necessary when we come together in worship. Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Hebrews 3:13 also states, “Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Clearly, we need each other to keep us going.

Coming to church will not save you; only a personal relationship with Jesus can do that. However, as God’s people, as a vital part of the Body of Christ, missing an opportunity to come together, to worship together, to learn together and to encourage one another, will be the last thing we’ll want to do.

Recently I had the privilege of attending a band concert at the Yukon Arts Centre. What may have been assumed as “common knowledge” at one time is apparently not so common today and as such, the concert organizers felt it necessary to include a page in the program called “Concert Etiquette.” If a concert requires a certain etiquette (as it should), how much more should we be striving for excellence in our worship services. To that end, I’ve taken a page from their book and offer for your consideration, “worship service etiquette”.

Concert Etiquette
As the audience, you are an important part of tonight’s concert. The audience’s responsibility at formal concerts is to honour the efforts of the performers by providing a listening atmosphere in which the performance can be appreciated by everyone. To that end, we ask your cooperation with these few requests:
While the performance is in progress, remain seated and quiet. (If it becomes necessary to leave the auditorium, please do so between musical selections).
Please stay for the whole show (less than 90 minutes in total). All performers deserve a full audience for their performances. Listening to other / better players is a big part of each student’s Music Education.
Remove your hat, so that the people behind you can see easily. If you have outside clothes with you, remove them prior to the start of the show to restrict noise, movement and distractions.
If young children become restless and disrupt others’ ability to listen, please take them from the auditorium until they are quiet.
Trips to the bathroom, to get a drink, etc. should be made prior to the start of the show or at an intermission.
If you enjoy what you see and hear, please clap enthusiastically; at no time is yelling nor whistling acceptable at a formal concert.
Please turn pagers, cell phones and watch alarms off.
Thank you for making this evening enjoyable for the performers and for the audience.

Worship Service Etiquette
As the congregation, you are an important part of today’s service. The congregation’s responsibility at a worship service is to honour the One whom we worship by worshipping and providing an atmosphere where others may also worship. To that end, we ask your cooperation with these few requests:
While the service is in progress, remain seated and quiet. (If it becomes necessary to leave the sanctuary, please do so during transitions in the service).
Please stay for the whole service (less than 90 minutes in total). Our Lord deserves our full participation for the entire service. Also, our participation in worship encourages others who are just learning to worship.
Remove your hat, so that the people behind you can see easily. If you have outside clothes with you, remove them prior to the start of the service to restrict noise, movement and distractions.
All persons; children, youth, adults, should be careful not to hinder or disrupt other peoples ability to worship.
Trips to the bathroom, to get a drink, etc. should be made prior to the start of the service or after the service.
If you are blessed by what you see and hear, praise the Lord enthusiastically. Saying an “Amen!” or “Praise the Lord!” is welcome.
Please turn pagers, cell phones and watch alarms off.
Thank you for making this service enjoyable for everyone in the congregation.

I had posted the following story on my Facebook account and since it was generating some discussion, I thought I would post it here. Please feel free to comment.

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories.

As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. “Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.” The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.”

“I did,” replied the old cowboy.

“If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?” asked the preacher.

“Well, sir, God told me that He didn’t have a clue what I should wear. He said He’d never been in here before.”

It is clear that judging someone by what they wear is wrong.  There could be a hundred reasons why someone dresses the way they do.  Having said that, it doesn’t mean that it what people wear doesn’t matter.  The point is, we can’t judge someone by what they wear, at least not if it’s simply a matter of “style” or “quality”.

True, we don’t want to be stiff-necked, but is going to church the same thing as going to the beach?  In other words, shouldn’t I show due regard to where I am going and dress accordingly?  Can we take a too casual approach to our worship of God?  If so, why?

What do you think?

One of the basic concepts in computer technology is the fact that what you put in determines what you get out. When I was in college, the computer was given information through a series of cards that had holes punched in it. The computer read the cards and accordingly did what it was supposed to do. Today’s computers do the same thing, except now we have the luxury of using a keyboard or mouse to input information into the computer. But the fact remains, unless I type in or otherwise enter these words into my computer, the computer isn’t going to send them to the printer. I have an important role to play, I can’t just sit at my desk, look at my blank computer monitor, and expect a bulletin to come out of the printer.

Another place where this concept comes into play is in the area of worship. Two people can witness the same event. They can hear the same songs sung. They can see the same offering plate go by. They can listen to the same message and prayers. And yet they can have two totally different experiences—and it happens all the time. What makes the difference? Often it is our participation in worship. What we put in has a dramatic effect on what we get out.

Now it is true that there will always be other factors involved in our worship. For example, if there are people talking next to you or if you are juggling one or two preschoolers on your lap, that can make it difficult. But not withstanding these factors, one of the greatest factors in what we get out of worship will be your own preparation and participation in worship, in other words, what you put in to worship.

So how do we prepare and participate? We can prepare with prayer. Take a few moments before the service begins to ask the Lord to draw you to Himself, to speak to you through the service. Ask Him to reveal to you anything that hinders your relationship with Him. Spend some time offering yourself to the Lord in prayer.

Secondly, we need to participate. No one on the platform is putting on a show to watch. The people on the platform are there simply to lead so that we can all participate, together, in worship. Sing, pray, follow along with the Scripture reading, listen and try to apply the message; these are all ways we can participate so that when we leave this place, we will have not just spent an hour—we will have met with the Living God!