Good comment, Greg. As I review my sermon notes, I see that I did not actually use the word ‘reverence’ except as a summary word right at the end.

I was really talking about worship as submission - taking the literal posture of the key ‘worship’ vocab - referring to prostration or ‘bending the knee’ before a sovereign - over into our whole life as our attitude to God.

At this point I did pick up on a critique by John Stott about our gatherings as often being a bit irreverent and casual, and lacking a sense of God’s greatness and awe. [Tell me if you want me to post the quote.]

I don’t think Stott was complaining about kids making a bit of noise in church or people not dressing up or that sort of thing, rather about leadership of meetings, which creates a bit of a culture where we are cocky or flippant or casual or mechanical.

And at that point I affirmed what Proverbs say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

You are correct of course, that reverence often has an overtone of fear. Not, I think of cringing fear, but deep respect for the power and majesty and goodness of the one we revere.

To trivialise by way of illustration, it’s the fear/awe I felt before a senior high school teacher: a very good teacher, an excellent sports coach, who could be stern and demanding but always seemed in control, even when angry.

This was a different fear from the fear many of us felt at another teacher who was also strict but had en explosive temper, but was not nearly as fair or competent as a teacher. With him, it was a cringing fear and not much positive respect.

You are also correct that Hebrews 10:19-23 encourages us to approach God with confidence and assurance and clean consciences - through Christ - and hence we do not need to fear his condemnation.

However the same author warns in the same chapter (10:26-31) against deliberately keeping on sinning after receiving a knowledge of the gospel truth, because otherwise all we will face is a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire. Knowing the gospel, and responding warmly but superficially, such that you count yourself amongst the people of the visible church, yet then despising Christ leads to severe judgment, such that the author says those sobering words,

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. NIV

Likewise, the author says in Heb 12:28-29,

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire”. NIV

<i>Solo Christianity would be an oddity</i>

Or an impossibility? What do you think, Sandy?

I wonder if starting a gathering with Psalm 95 actually misleads people about the purpose of gathering today, in the light of the cross.

Are we in danger of making the shadow the reality?

Is ‘church’ more than ‘worship’? I think so. Christ is central to our meetings and he himself is not worship. At best worship is our response when we hear him.  God ‘speaking’ is central to ‘church’ but this isn’t worship is it?