Mondays with Matt

As we begin a new series at AEffect we thought it would be good to have some follow-up directly related to Sunday nights hit the blog on Monday so that we continue to move from nights of worship to lives of worship. Every Monday for the next three months Matt Klingler will be writing on the blog to continue fanning the flame of worship from our Sunday night gatherings into our week. Whether you attend AEffect regularly or read this blog from outside Dallas I know you will be enriched by what Matt has to say because of his love for our great King and his passion to see people far from God brought so very near.

His first post begins below. Praying all of you have a week ordered with intentionality that brings joy to the heart of God and Christ to the hearts of those far from HIm.

with great joy,
R.D.


I must say, it was a pleasure worshiping with you all last night. We are more than refreshed by your desire to interact with God, towards a more intimate relationship with Him, and to seek the concrete truths of the faith. In relationship with Him, clinging to solid truths, we will continue to use our weeks to make decisions which move us to places of death (to self for others), and may one day be called to give our lives for Him (if we end up somewhere over seas this may be more probable).

Below you will find two things: First, my life story in three churches, experiencing a varied liturgy in each. Second, a short explanation of how to create some intentional personal liturgies for yourself this week. Our hope is that you will grow in your love of God, intimately knowing Him, and in your grasping of core doctrines of the faith, clinging to them in glorious life until death.


My Church Story:
My nose sniffs for the scents of liturgy smoking from the bishop’s incense jar, swinging gently from left to right as he walks the center isle. A train of pallbearers, or acolytes, trails behind him. Death lingered there. No gospel. Not much bible. Lots of inclusion. Many Episcopal churches are drenched in the gospel, the bone dry community of Saint Johns Episcopal rattled with Jesus’ absence. I wondered if smoke would rise from the gold dangling jar if it lay limp. Lots of the pomp and circumstance dissipated before my 12yr old heart could drink in the hollow majestic. Sitting, Prayers of the People, standing, chanting of the Nicene Creed, kneeling, starchy wafers for communion.

I miss it. I miss God’s grandeur shouting from stain glass windows; Jesus’ big wooden cross staring down at me; knowing I don’t decide when to sit and stand. Somehow, in this jumbled broken church, I met Jesus. Maybe it was God’s little trick to remind me I’m not in control, and He’s not predictable. He guides my sitting, standing, praying. My brother met Jesus in YoungLife. The Holy Spirit dragged them both to me right in those pews. Confirmation class was more fun after that.

“What do you mean, Jesus died for your sins? What’s that have to do with this?” the teacher asked. I clammed up, not knowing she wasn’t pressing my ignorance with her truthful inquisition. The gospel somehow trickled through the liturgy, the call to worship, the time of confession, the preached word which never mentioned Jesus, and the sacraments that mentioned Him every week. My Confirmation teacher didn’t have to know what she was talking about.

My rebellious teen years brought me, and my brother, to Grace Community Church. Our parents’ feet remained cemented for two years in what I thought was their “dead church.” Nothing like church to split a family. Now we just do it internally, sending kids this way, wives that, and husbands at home or isolated in their own manly bible-studies. Grace Community was a wonderful church, timely placed by God to draw me into a deep love relationship with Jesus, and connect me in a community of His followers seeking to reach the lost. No pews, just cooshy chairs; no hymnals, glitzy Power Point and guitars; no swinging incense, no cross. We were cool. We wouldn’t let the building or the liturgy stop anyone from hearing the gospel through the preached word and praise band. He spoke loudly.

Intentional leaders shepherded me through the bible, taught me how to pray, showed me that a relationship with homeboy Jesus, and reaching the world were grand goals. Sure we were in small groups, a corporate Sunday morning service (which our youth-group leader didn’t attend), but what really mattered was our quite times. I grew a ton. Even married the pastor’s daughter.

College had me in a PCUSA church run by a Princeton grad who held hands with the PCA, and hired a DTS covenant theologian as his right hand man. Needless to say, we were a church seeking identity. I have never been a part of a more disorganized, uncool, Sunday morning service aiming for “contemporary” and missing it by a mile. But, the preaching and Sunday School adult education opened my eyes to the sovereignty of God and the diversity of His expression. Theology never smelled so good. God’s current eddied in a denominational stream. Miraculous. My mind, passions, and expression of church would never be the same.

Then we came to Dallas. Married, and seeking a church that would “fit” both Courtney and me, Northwest Bible became home, and then office. I’m not sure we get it all right, pretty sure we don’t. I know we come before Christ in brokenness, and sometimes celebrate His work in redemption. He is center stage. The sacraments remain background highlights, and hymns are sung early to satiate the old school. But we’re trying. In every broken setting: liturgical; bible church; or some sort of blend, Jesus trickles through the cracks.


Personal Liturgy:

God is the first cause, the fount, the beginning. We are affected, caught in His stream of movement, and react to His impetus. Our corporate liturgy, as experienced last night, captures the following elements:

1. God calls us to worship Him; stepping into His presence we are struck by our sinfulness and respond with confession.

2. God assures us of blamelessness in Christ; we respond singing songs of praise for His grace.

3. God speaks to us through His word explained; we respond by clinging to Christ in communion in our shortcoming, remembering His provision, and for the power to obey.

4. God charges us to live lives empowered by Christ, through the Holy Spirit, as His friends and disciples; we respond by stepping into our week to worship Him with our lives.

In the coming weeks we will experience God through interacting with Him in these same elements, though in a sundry ways. On Sunday nights, before you week begins, reset the pace of your week, plan for times where you will intentionally interact with God.

When creating this movement for yourself, we hope that the following suggestions are helpful:
1. Spend time sitting before God to prepare your heart (Ps46.10)

2. Knowing that He has welcomed you into His presence reflect on Him, His holiness, character, perfection, provision…

a. Choose a small piece of a Psalm to read slowly. Allow it to capture for you who He is.

Psalm 139; 27; 36; 45; 8; 104; 148; 33; 89; 96; 66; 99; 145; 23; 42; 51; 32; 111; 130; 76; 89; 93; 19; 119; 71; 97; 113; 104; 139; 143; 34; 81; 107

b. List the characteristics of God that most stuck out to you. How did He show you this about Himself recently?

c. Confess the opposite of this in your life (ex. if He is faithful, how have you been unfaithful).

3. Bask in the forgiveness He offers, and has secured for you in Christ.

a. the following scriptures may be helpful in remembering your security in Christ.

2Cor5.12; Eph2.1-10; 1Jn1.8-10; 1Jn3.1-3; 1Peter3.18a; 1Peter1.18-19

b. Spend time simply praising God, thanking Him for His grace. Linger on Jn1.12, knowing you are and will always be His child. Sing, write, sit, do whatever helps you to praise Him.

4. Spend some time listening to God’s word. Study whatever you are studying, meditate on whatever scripture you are currently reading. Begin in the gospels if you are not currently reading anything. What is He saying to you about Himself, and yourself.

5. Do not merely listen to the word do what it says (James1.22). What is God commanding from you? Is there a change in your actions He is commanding? Is there a change in your belief He desires? Set a plan to live in the grace of Christ, by the power of the Spirit, in this step of obedience. Tell a friend (maybe someone in your small group) and ask them to help walk with you in this obedience.

Matt