Lateral Ministries: Following Jesus Beside You

In the 12th-century King Arthur legend "Perceval, the Story of the Grail," the knights of the Round Table embarked upon the quest for the holy grail, believing that it held miraculous powers from God. The grail was believed to be the cup Jesus used in the Last Supper, with which He instituted the Lord’s Supper. The legend also held that Joseph of Arimathea caught some of Christ’s blood in the cup at His crucifixion. While the grail legend is a medieval myth, it was not and is not without important symbolic meaning. When Sir Percival found the castle he sought, the castle of the Fisher King, he saw a vision of the Grail, and his chivalry bound him to reverent silence so that he failed to ask the question that would have healed the king, “What does this mean?" or "Who does the grail serve?” As such, he failed and was forced to continue his quest seeking redemption.  When we consider an act of worship, wise reverence asks, “What does this mean?” and “Who does this serv...

Despite popular opinion, not all religious paths lead to God. There are right ways and wrong ways to worship God. Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Proper worship goes through the High Priest’s intercession. It’s Christian worship, or it’s unacceptable to God. This time (next to last in this series), I’ll share six truths about principles that support proper worship, biblical teachings about how we present ourselves before God as worshippers, and facts about the attitudes that ought to fill our hearts and minds as we worship God. I’ll also share some things about different traditions. Principle I: In the previous posts in this series, I’ve talked at some length about the fact God seeks worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:19-26). True worshippers must worship in spirit and truth. No need to say anything more here.  Principle II: Treat God with Appropriate Respect. In Malachi 1:6–14 (ESV)...

An average family walks into a church of Christ auditorium on any given Sunday and finds a seat. Mama and the kids scoot into the row, and Daddy sits at the end by the aisle. They look around at all the unfamiliar faces and shift in their seats.  A young mother seeking the Lord comes to church with her two children: a four-year-old boy and a two-and-a-half-year-old girl. She twists, wrestles, and corrects, trying to keep quiet, wondering if she’s causing a distraction or if others are irritated by the children and her.  A family comes to a typical church of Christ from another background. Used to a very different approach, they don’t understand our shared convictions about worship and may feel disoriented. We don’t want them to feel out of place. If they feel out of place, they’re almost sure to be out of the place permanently.  Another person Jesus died for comes from no religious upbringing at all and has already overcome severe anxiety before walking into a church buil...