Hokey Pokey
With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week. Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote “The Hokey Pokey”, died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.
I’m sorry! It just started me laughing – and I hope you too. It also started my thinking about how difficult it is to get folks into something for which they are not ready.
Maybe the reason we have such trouble getting folks into a deep, rich, vital study of God’s Word is because they are not ready. They have yet to come to the conclusion that it is the Truth that sets them free. They have not discovered this it is the guide to life, the light in darkness, the revelation of God Himself to those who would know Him.
Worship two or three times a week is not a place many people choose. Evidently they have yet to see the value and benefit of prayer, praise, exposition of the Word, and the incredible beauty of family gathered to care for, minister to, encourage, support and llove one another. (Maybe part of that problem is: that is not what’s happening in the place one attends services)
The obvious then comes starkly to bear. How do folks get ready? Or how do we who speak to the need for readiness provoke and stimulate that preparation? The Truth is, we can’t. It is a supernatural work of God. It requires a heart (read: innnermost being) change. A Sovereign God calls men and women to obedience and personal readiness for discipleship (Romans 12:1-2). Were I one who does not sense (feel, know, understand, desire) that work of God in me, I would be worried, very worried. I can’t find any reference to an expectation of “semi-readiness,” or “partial-involvement” any where in Scripture.
I am rather positive God did not intend a “hokey-pokey” Church.