Ornaments

I recently had a conversation where I was looking around at a worship facility and I was saying something to the effect of, “Wow, some people really overdo the decorations of their worship facility. It’s like they don’t realize that that space is only used sparingly, and it’s not like they can take the decorations with them to heaven anyway. Surely there could have been better uses for that money.”

Then I read Mark 14:1-11. These words of Jesus convicted me.

Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. -Mark 14:1-11

It is definitely true that I can go so far as to be arrogant enough to decide that certain earthly things have value. I would perhaps provide comfort for the worshipers in the pew before I would “waste” money on expensive candles, or gold altar implements. I would probably criticize a church for having poor coffee, even if they chose to have their energy poured into beautiful altar decorations.

At a certain point, I go too far. All people could argue for their preferences. The only exception is the one person who is above all. There is one that truly deserves honor, perfume, ornamentation, or songs of praise. The music isn’t for me. The soup supper isn’t for me. My comfort isn’t necessary for worship. It is so that the name of Jesus cold be praised that we gather. We can have a sense of urgency for that praise.

I often criticize what I call “seasonal decorations.” My friends will laugh because they know it’s true. It seems like so much work that will simply have to be undone. Today I see their value. If the season is one in which special honor and praise are being offered to the one worthy. If it is to give the name of Jesus Christ special remembrance that such time is spent on decorations or special worship arrangements, or gatherings in the home are centered around telling of Christ’s story, then bring on the seasonal decorations.

Perhaps I have become too cynical about “holidays.” It is not okay to be cynical about Easter, or Christmas, or any Christian festival, but as the world lumps them together and creates cultural holidays, I need to be reminded of Jesus words, “But you will not always have me.” This is the reason to take time to cut down the evergreen and spend a whole day decorating it: because it is not always Christmas Joel. It is not always Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. As we walk with Jesus through the rough days ahead in holy week, it is important for us to remember that there is value to this time; that our time on earth to be filled is short, that the time to overflow onto the people around us is short. Let’s not sell our nard on ebay to pay the electric bill.

Let’s turn off the lights, and pour praise upon Jesus’ head and shoulders.


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