The Focus on Self

I think that one of major problems with people today is their focus on themselves. Society tells us that it is all about what makes us happy. We see this in postmodernist thinking where there is no absolute truth, only “my truth.” We also see this in pluralism where all beliefs are valid. Unfortunately this has also crept into the church. We hear of people leaving the church because the music was not what “I” wanted or the pastor did not preach the type of sermon “I” wanted to hear. This is a growing problem for churches and is at odds with what God has designed the body of Christ to be.

In Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age, the authors discuss the idea of horizontal syn-compounds believers share due to Christ being the head of the church.^[1] Now, if you are like me, you have no idea what a horizontal syn-compound is. Fortunately, we have tools like AI that can help us. According to my Logos AI, “Horizontal syn-compounds are words formed with the Greek preposition "syn-", meaning ‘together’ or ‘with’. In the context of the New Testament, particularly in Paul's letters, these compounds are used to emphasize mutuality, partnership, and shared experiences among believers. For example, in Philippians, Paul uses syn-compounds like ‘synkoinōnous’ (partners together) and ‘synchairete’ (rejoice together) to underscore the interconnectedness of Christians. These compounds serve to enhance the sense of unity and cooperation within the church community. The use of syn-compounds is particularly prominent in Philippians, where Paul employs them to strengthen the bonds of friendship and mutual support among believers, especially in the face of internal dissension and external opposition.”

I guess, the word that I could come up with after reading this is the English word synchronize. When I hear the word synchronize, i think of synchronized swimming. Now, I am not a connoisseur of this sport, but I understand what they are trying to do. The swimmers are all working together to produce a choreographed routine where all members are doing the same thing. The closer they get to being perfectly in sync, the higher the score. Now, there is some artistry that goes on here as well, because there is some variation in the moves and the whole thing is put to music. I guess it is akin to water dancing. So, what does this have to do with Scripture or being a Christian?

As Christians, we are all part of the body of Christ and need to function as a part of that body no matter how we feel. As part of the body, we must submit to Christ as the head and work to make the body as healthy as possible. We can also think of this body as a community. There are both small and large communities within the body of Christ. Once again, I must point to what the COVID pandemic has done to the church in that during the lock downs people were not allowed to have physical communities. However, this did not mean that each Christian became a silo. We were all still connected. “As a result of Christ’s work to create a new, redeemed community, the Holy Spirit makes the many into one, thereby maintaining the unity of the church as a community of faith.” ^[2] No doubt there were some who left the church during that time, but the church and the community did not die.

It is also crucial to know that although we are individuals, we are all a part of the body of Christ. We often focus on ourselves and do not see what the rest of the body is doing. When we focus on ourselves only, we can miss out on some of the blessings the body receives because we were not a part. To combat this, we must shift our “norm” to be more Christ-like. Unfortunately, this cannot be switched on and off but is a gradual process that helps us be more like Christ. As humans,we want to be our own authority. Most of us want to do things our way, which leads us to pursue “self-established avenues of sanctification.” We are seeing this play out in our lives today. If someone doesn’t agree with what I say, they are wrong and must be dealt with. We think we can sanctify ourselves, but Isaiah 65:2 says,”All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.”

One idea that often is tossed around in discussions about worship is the idea that we can worship from anywhere. I do think God can be present with us no matter where we are or how we worship. I am grateful for our technology so that I could attend a school in Virginia from my home in Texas at any time during the day. I think that as long as our hearts and minds are open to the will of God and we strive to do His will, He will meet us and guide us. I think that as technology progresses, we should continue to find ways to use it for His glory and minister to those around us. However, I do not think that our only form of worship should be watching online sermons or church services. I understand that some people might be home-bound, but that is not who I am speaking about. Most of the time, people who are arguing they can worship anywhere are trying to justify their Sunday morning tee-time, hunt, fishing trip, or sporting event. Now, don’t get me wrong. I have missed plenty of Sundays in my time, but they usually involved not wanting to wake up early on a Sunday morning. I am not going to condemn you for occasionally missing a Sunday for an event, but this should not be the norm. Remember, you are part of the body and the body best functions when all parts are present and healthy.

When people do not attend corporate worship, they do not think about what they contribute to the overall community by them being there. There is a reason why people like to go to the movie theater to see a movie rather than watch it at home. There is something about being there and sharing the experience that is more “real” and engaging. The same can be said about a concert. Yes, the recording will be much better quality, but sharing that experience with the people around you is much more rewarding. It’s not what I get out of the community but what I put into it. I do believe that God uses technology to help spread His message, but I think it should be used as a tool to grow the community, not to help people get out of it.

As Christians, we also need to be aware that we are to be spreading holiness. If we keep to ourselves and do only what makes us happy we are not spreading anything. In order to spread something, there must be someone to spread it to. “We also spread the contagion of holiness among ourselves through the preaching and teaching of God’s word, intercessory prayer, the sharing of the Lord’s Supper, interactive experiences of worship”^[3] I think this cannot be overemphasized. We can spread the “contagion of holiness” in a variety of ways. The emphasis, however, must be on Christ and not on ourselves.

Now, I know that I only briefly touched on the idea of self and why in-person worship matters, but these are ideas I will return to again, as I had a change of heart myself about in-person worship. What I want to focus on here is the idea that as the body of Christ, we should all be working together toward the same goals. Part of working together means thinking of ourselves less and that sometimes means that our preferences are not considered. I prefer hymns in worship, but many churches today do not sing hymns. As we navigate the challenges of modern Christianity while trying to blend traditional values, ideas, and teaching with modern technology and an increasingly hostile culture, we must remember that we need to embrace the collective purpose God has designed for His church. Yes, modern technology allows us new ways to connect with each other and non-believers, but we cannot allow it to replace the physical community we have. We must also remember that just as synchronized swimmers must adjust their individual movements to create something artistic and beautiful together, so too must we as Christians adjust our individual wants to help create a beautiful, synchronized people known as the church.