Worship

It happened again today... or perhaps more to the point, it didn't happen
again.

I was at another church in which the worship service would have been
completely devoid of any scripture reading had it not been that I began my
message with it.

What is happening? How is this kind of sloppy approach to worship thought
to be acceptable? For centuries the Church has organized her worship
service around the Word. Now it seems to be organized around songs that are
appealing. (Speaking of which, the songs that were sung were all very
"upbeat" and focused mostly on "me." What happened to the substance of the
singing being theologically oriented, teaching about God?)

Somewhere along the line the "leaders" of a group of people gathering to
declare themselves as present for worship have decided that they can
determine what constitutes worship... Never mind what the Church has
practiced for centuries. Never mind what the apostles practiced. Never
mind what the apostles taught!!

If evangelicals don't realize that they cannot cut themselves off from the
historic Church they will become - at best - a cult.

Someone needs to start asking the question "Who's in Charge?" Who has the
authority to declare what does and does not constitute Christian worship?

I've been accused of attempting to push my "preferences" over other people's
preferences. Well, if that's true, then here's my preference and I WILL
push it... Christian worship is not whatever you want it to be. It's not
whatever makes people feel good. It's not evangelism!! It is God-centered,
God-directed, God-focused, God-glorifying. Whether it benefits me or not isn't the point. Does it benefit God?!?

The place of God in our worship has become, at best, a consideration and no longer the focus. No, I don't care that the word "God" or "Lord" is used periodically in the songs, in the instructions and pleas, or even in the prayers. God has become nothing more than a tool to make my life feel better, happier, more pleasant. Christians are being taught
a utilitarian approach to God, to the Word, to prayer, and to worship. What
makes a good worship service good? Ask someone - most of the time you'll
hear this kind of answer in response: "I really got a lot out of that
service."

SO WHAT!!?? Who cares what you get out of the worship service!? The whole
direction/point/focus/purpose of worship is to give God what HE wants out of
YOU! When asked, "How was worship?" We must resist "measuring" our worship by how we felt about it. We must consider how God felt about it. It's not about what "I" got out of it but what did God get out of me? Did I praise him despite the lousy week i had? Was I aware of his presence as the scriptures were read? Did i "taste and see" him in the bread and in the cup? Did I repent of my self-indulgence and self-righteousness and arrogant judgementalism? Did I give myself as fully and completely as I could to God... again? Did I listen for God? Did I determine I would do whatever God might tell me to do even before I heard from him - and then follow through?

The American Evangelical Church has become a place where we seek to
make people feel better about... well, whatever they want their lives to be about. Never mind following Jesus and suffering. Never mind following Jesus and dying.

Debbie Boone sang, "You light up my life... It can't be wrong when it feels
so right, cause You light up my life."

And that is the focus of worship in most of the Evangelical Church.
Congratulations, you have successfully integrated into the American culture.
Too bad the Kingdom of Christ contradicts American culture.