Like many of you, I grew up in church. Back then, church was quiet. Shhhh…Once you entered through the sanctuary doors, there seemed to be a mood of solemness. As a kid, I thought if I sneezed too loudly it was a terrible thing. But things change – Hallelujah – and today, many churches now see themselves as places of Godly celebration and fellowship. I’m convinced that Jesus had great spirited meetings and that laughter, excitement, and passion were always in play.
It reminds me of a story I heard about the Russian czar back in 1903, who came across a sentry posted for no apparent reason on Kremlin grounds. Upon inquiry, he discovered that back in 1776, Catherine the Great found the first flower of spring on that very spot “Post a sentry here,” she commanded, “so that no one tramples that flower underfoot!” And that was that. Well, over a hundred years later, a sentry was still posted. Some traditions die hard and changing the mood in church has been one of them. But I, for one, love the change and love the passion in our churches today.
Most people are passionate about something – be it God, football, family, food, or their work. Someone once noted that the world admires every passionate enthusiasm except one: Love for God! I have found that to be true. Our word “fan” comes from the word “fanatic.” We hear of sports fans, celebrity fans, and music fans – but where are all the God fans?! People will fight for a front-row seat at a sporting event or a music concert, but how about church? Not so much. To bad ~
I once heard that the famous Hungarian-born American conductor, Eugene Ormandy, dislocated his shoulder while directing the Philadelphia Orchestra – so passionate! So fanatic about his music! I don’t know what they were playing, but he was giving it his all. It may be hard to imagine that, but as T.S. Eliot said, “It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind.” It makes you feel sad for those poor souls who have no passion.
Romans 12:11 has handed us this great verse on passion: “Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion toward Him boiling hot!” To keep your passion towards God “boiling hot” one must keep the fire burning, stoked with His word and singing His praises! Without that, we often find ourselves warbling out songs like, “Make the World Go Away” – “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” – “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” or, “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.”
I recently read an article about the man responsible for the development of the Polaris Submarine – Rear Admiral William Reborn, Jr. He was always careful to keep an eye on his top management personnel and when first coming on the job, he would give them a patriotic pep talk on the importance of their work. If it ever appeared that someone was not doing their best, he would call them into his office for what he termed, “rededication.” One officer, recalling one of those emotional sessions said, “When I walked out, I knew I was ready to die for someone. I didn’t know whether it was for the admiral, the president, or the head of the Boy Scouts, but brother, I was ready to die if necessary!”
That’s what I call passion! Passion captures the attention of others. Why? Because it glows. It flashes. It illuminates. It’s daring. It’s contagious! Passionate people are just so “out there!”
I’ve always loved this writing by Steve Jobs, and invariably think of a zealous, passionate person – it’s a great little read. “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things, they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
That’s real passion, and honestly, I think Jesus would have loved that read too!
Bob and Susan Beckett pastor the Dwelling Place City church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you can contact them at DPCitychurch.org
Susan Beckett | Dwelling Place City
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