Ensign: The Church That Can't Smile

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 20 September 2013

Monday night of last week the six of us – my wife Martha, our kids Sarah and Jeffrey, our nieces Breanna and Josceline, and I – were heading down Broadway and as we passed by the Scandinavian Heritage Park on our right Jeffrey pointed out “the Cheshire Cat's smile!” when he saw the moon in the sky to our right. The first time he saw the moon a few years ago and could actually say something, he connected the sight of the moon with the character from Alice in Wonderland who gradually disappeared, leaving only his smile. And I knew what he was saying, but Martha and Breanna weren't sure and said they first heard Jeffrey say “the church that can't smile”.

And it's out of such misquotes that great insights come. Some of the most devout people you and I have ever met refuse to step into a church BUILDING because they claim it's full of hypocrites like me! (Maybe even you.) For those of us who are in church and participate other than that one hour or two on Sunday mornings, is there any evidence other than our names on a membership roll or a plaque that we are excited to be there? Do we communicate that excitement – do we seem a lot more human – by smiling when we talk about what God is doing in our lives? Some say we get too animated when we do; well, if I'm excited about something, I'm willing to get animated – get moving – on it!

Perhaps I'm missing something, for I don't see the words “smile”, “grin”, “frown”, or “sneer” – for that matter, anything you do with your mouth without speaking – anywhere in Scripture. Yet we obviously do these things, and it's unlikely the various authors of the books of the Bible (about fifty, inspired by God, across fifteen hundred years or so) weren't familiar with facial expressions. A smile is still a smile. But too many of us when we step into church – I know I'm guilty of this – are getting there at about the last minute and seeing a sea of people just as tired as me, just as busy (well, I like to think so) as me, and we find … we have … the energy … to worship.

Even in our age of text messages and going “to and fro” – the phrasing comes from Daniel 12:4, where we're also told that “knowledge shall be increased”, are we necessarily any smarter? Even in our small part of the world we have more access to more primary sources than our forebears at any time in history, but I don't believe it makes us smarter. It certainly doesn't make us wiser; indeed, it makes us settle for what Paul calls “a form of godliness, [while] denying the power” that comes with it, and thereby the responsibility. Huh. You're hearing the shades or a prophet, and apostle, and a superhero in the same paragraph, who'da thunk it?

Certainly not me before I wrote it; now I'm not naïve enough to think that outside the church I have no reasoning ability or common sense whatsoever, but without the fellowship (what our English word church converted back to its original Greek means, not that building with the steeple) our lives would lose a lot of dynamic. We'd be freaked to share what we believe if we did not have the encouragement of others who do believe. Because many of us together – heck, Jesus says two or three gathered in His name has him so there (see Matthew 18:20) – can accomplish so much more than you or I. And then we can become the church that DOES smile, for we rejoice even if we are not all happy.

I am the church.

You are the church.

We are the church together.

We can smile because we choose to, David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you in my address book, and I hope to be an encourager too! If you find that I’m not or you want me to get lost, just let me know, thank you!

We praise You, Lord, for this beautiful day You have given us! Please pray with me for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and for physical and spiritual communities around our world.

Lord, we need Your strength to fight the natural disasters and human ills to ultimately treat the cause and not just the symptoms; until we who have power change, this world You have made us stewards of won’t either.

Thank You, Lord, for all those in leadership and service here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have been given as well as the promise of new life through Your Son. And may we all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.