The CEREMONY and CELEBRATION balance.

While both; ceremony and celebration, are appropriate and important, we wouldn't enjoy a basketball game if it was played entirely as a formal ceremony, the same with a solemn ceremony conducted like a three ring circus.

I wonder if that goes on in the Biblical Christian environment.  This has hints of the conversation about "Religion vs. Revival."   Back in the day when someone followed Christ or became a Christian, everyone would say; "They got religion!"  Today religion has a different connotation with the idea it is usually concerned with self and believing if you work hard enough you will automatically spend eternity with God.  Christians would say the Pharisees of the Bible were "religious". Issiah  wrote that all of our righteousness are as filthy rags!  The religious person lives ceremoniously, worships ceremoniously, suffers ceremoniously etc. ceremoniously.  Once again there is nothing wrong with religion or ceremony.  It is my intention to indicate it is unbalanced  to do; life, community and worship,  only in ceremony or even all as a Carnival church service with a dunk tank up front.  Many churches on many street corners meeting once a week where there is no love, no real prayer, no power, no heart/life transformation and no joy.  Sounds like a dead body at a funeral.

Please look at the book of Nehemiah chapter eight. Day after day there was both ceremony as well as great joy and festival,  complete with food and the word.  They did not  receive anything new. These had a worship experience for and to their faithful God.  Their ceremony and festival was a celebration and life of worship as thanksgiving and glory to God!

*They were having community development, for the city walls and homes.
*They were having community development, for the spiritual revival of their hearts and relationship with God!

This is our purpose as well, to bring honor and glory to God. Not as a religious exercise, but as a living relationship and peace with God through faith in Christ.  We realize we were dead in sin and by grace through faith we miraculously passed from death into life! We often ceremoniously remember and it is cause for celebration. both being a result of our peace and joy.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."  Ephesian 2:8,9.

"likewise you also, reckon yourself dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 6:11.

So with a balance of ceremony and celebration, let us see revival. Not revival called by the deacons, but one called by the Holy Spirit!