Called to Worship – Issue #7
by Phil Mershon
I’ve been leading corporate worship for over three decades. I’ve joined a Kenyan congregation who joyously celebrated their riches in Christ, even though by all earthly standards they ranked among the poorest of the poor. I’ve also led in post-Christian Europe where they enjoyed earthly riches and magnificent buildings, with little joy.
I’ve yet to lead a congregation whose intensity and passion matches that of a closely fought football championship. (However, I witnessed something close at this Promise Keeper event with E.V. Hill.) I wonder why…
I’m glad I can’t hear the thoughts rattling around on Sunday mornings, “Not this song again.” “I wonder what Sally’s going to make for lunch?” “I’ve got to find John after church so we can set up that business deal.” “I wonder if Pastor Jim can meet with me about my struggling marriage.”
As a worship leader I often forget the many issues that preoccupy fellow believers as they come to worship. We all hunger for a taste of eternity so we can endure life’s pressures and challenges.
As a lead worshipper, I need daily reminders of God’s lavish grace. I need to see His grace as truly sufficient no matter how dark the hole I’m in. Grace is the fuel that propels me through my whole Christian journey, not just at take-off.
One of the reasons our worship services seem sedate compared to a sports event is we’ve allowed the luster of the Gospel to grow dim. We’re strong in proclaiming the Gospel to unbelievers, but we’ve grown bored as we rehearse this Greatest Story for believers. We know the characters, plots and subplots, but we’ve lost the wonder.
Let me be clear: The Gospel is not boring. It’s the most adventuresome story ever. There is beauty, challenge, adversity, danger, sacrifice, bravery, love, glory, passion, betrayal and forgiveness. All the greatest themes in literature are found in the Gospel—and its true.
I’m afraid that we’re bored because we have truncated the Gospel into a simple formula (e.g. 4 Spiritual Laws, 5 Steps to Peace) and we have failed to plumb the depths of these mysteries.
Spelunkers, deep sea divers and astronauts all know there are numerous mysteries and unexplored regions of our universe. To the trained eye, even our own neighborhoods have myriads of spectacles that point to God’s powerful hand.
Proverbs 2:4 tell us to look for wisdom like silver or gold. Jesus said the Kingdom is like a pearl of great price (Mt. 13: 45-46) for which we should sell everything to pursue it. The Gospel is a priceless gem worthy of our best mental and emotional efforts.
I’m afraid that our worship becomes boring when we treat it as routine and familiar.
Keith & Kristyn Getty penned a timeless hymn In Christ Alone that helps me rehearse the wonders of the Gospel. I also love the fresh treatment Vikki Cook has given to the classic hymn Before the Throne of God Above (as sung at Together for the Gospel).
Comments:
How do you combat monotony in your personal and corporate worship?
A lot of people routinely fall into a state of boredom or apathy. It’s a tough life sometimes. And people want actual solutions–action–not the Gospel, which requires faith and patience. Plus, it’s hard to fire people up about reality; sports are not reality. Crowds at football games escape into their passion, while church services require true engagement. We can forget our lives at ballgames; we are brought smack up against our lives in church. That causes many people to tune out, or, at least, fail to tune in.
Hey Marc,
That’s a great point! We have been lulled by TV, sports and entertainment to think we “deserve a break today.” When we come to church, most of us are still looking to be entertained, not engaged.
Truth be told, if we get a real glimpse of heaven, we’ll be transported like Paul and John to a taste of what’s ahead. That’s true escape! And that escape will help us better embrace the hope we find in the Gospel here on earth. When the Spirit meets us in worship, we sometimes are blessed by this taste of heaven. I pray that I can increasingly find this in my own worship and for congregations I lead.
I really like this. I think what I’ve fought is my unsettled mind. I need to change my perspective of liturgy so I’m not disappointed and bored…the church shouldn’t have to conform to me. Why isn’t it my reprieve? Why isn’t it the place where I can retreat without my phone and email? There is some comfort in knowing they haven’t changed while the world has….more will be revealed on this I suppose….
Monaica,
You raise a great point. On one hand worship has nothing to do with us. We are there for the glory of God, not to have our needs met. On the other hand, God receives the most glory when we are delighted in him–and that includes public worship. Sometimes I think we worship leaders over think this. Scripture is clear on a number of issues related to what worship looks like and when we try to reinvent the wheel we make it all about our preferences. However, God loves us so much that he knows how to speak our language in worship. He promised to be present. He is the one who illuminates his words in our hearts and minds. His Spirit is the one who convicts us of our sin. He can take a spoken or sung word and change our whole lives. If we come expectant, He will meet with us. Even if we aren’t expectant, he meets us, but we often misinterpret what he is saying or doing.
I think C.S. Lewis is the one who said all of our actions will either draw us closer to God or more like a monster. There are no in betweens. Becoming bored in worship seems acceptable at worst and passive at best. There is no such thing. We are talking about a daily and weekly invitation into the presence of the greatest king who ever lived and yet we treat it like its an invitation from a neighbor, whom we feel obligated to accept.
Anyway, I think you’re wrestling with good questions. Keep wrestling!