Business meetings and the glory of God – those don’t sound like two phrases that fit together. And for good reason.
When people think about the glory of God, they are often caught up with some of the grand moments of God’s great work: the parting of the Red Sea when Israel escaped the army of Egypt; the Lord passing in front of Moses to show him all of his goodness; the filling of the tabernacle with the presence of God; the fire consuming an offering on the top of the mountain.
Because we have these grandiose visions of glory, to think of something like a church business meeting having any glory confounds us. Business meetings are often filled with stuffy reports, audit statements, and motions. Maybe the glory is in the continental breakfast!
We have grown accustomed to glory being something spectacular that we fail to appreciate that God’s glory is often missed in the ordinary. We hear the slogan “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” So we look for the phenomenal…only to feel disappointed yet again.
But in the greatest showcase of glory, God’s glory was on display in an the most unexpected of ways. Glory came and was announced that it would be found in an animal feed trough. Glory worked in a carpenter’s shop. A rugged beam held glory forth with nails. In other words, the Word became flesh.
On Saturday morning, I expect to see glory. No, there will be no pyrotechnics when the bagels arrive! Instead, the ordinary working of God – changing people from one degree of glory to another, seeing people serve in all humility, discovering people have trusted Christ in the face of hardship and trials, observing the generosity of God’s people one to another – these are the displays of the glory of God.
Glory takes eyes of faith to see. We want the spectacular. God loves the ordinary. We want the flash. God shows up with a towel.
So why not come Saturday morning? Maybe you will experience this great mystery – that God is glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus now and forever (Eph. 3:20-21)!
Expecting glory,
Andrew
