Everybody

A couple of weeks ago I began a message series called, Everybody! In this series I'm talking about how everybody is created to worship, everybody is designed to serve, everybody has a story to share, and everybody needs to grow.

I didn't even get a quarter of the way through my first message on worship so I promised everyone I would post the remaining thoughts from my message on my blog. I guess it was my way of forcing myself to get back to blog land and actually post something. It's not that I don't have a life and nothing to say, it's just been that mine has been crazy, crazy busy since I've been back from Uganda. I hope to get some pictures on my blog of that amazing trip, too, one of these days.

Anyway, worship – here's the cliff notes on what I did say. I'll start here and then next blog entry will pick up where I left off.

Every single person was created to worship God. You may not totally understand that and you may not even believe it to be true – but it is so – you and I were created by God to worship Him.

Unfortunately however, when it comes to public worship, when the church comes together to worship, we bring at least three misconceptions about worship.

One, it's my religious duty. So we show up out of obligation, do what's expected, and leave empty and unchanged.

Two, it is a show to be watched. So we come in, plop down, and pull out our score cards and begin critiquing and criticizing everything – the worship pastor, the singers, the song selection, the volume, and of course their motives, the pastor, the length and depth of his message, the décor, you name it, if it can be critiqued, it is. And again we leave not just empty, but frustrated, annoyed and even angry.

Three, it is a service to be provided, so we come to worship much like we go shopping at WalMart or Costco. We wheel in with our spiritual shopping carts expecting to find what we're looking for and get the best bang for our worship buck. We cease becoming worshipers and become customers. And the people on the stage cease becoming worship leaders and become service providers. And once again we leave pissed off.

I guess I can say that in a blog. Here's something else I'll say here but chose not to in the message: Not a week goes by, and I'm not exaggerating, that our worship pastor or I do not receive some sort of criticism. It's understandable because of the misconceptions I just listed. One week someone actually wrote in and said something like if you ever do that song again I am going to get up and walk out. Even the weekend I spoke on worship and about the criticism stuff, someone wrote in and said that I didn't even mention Jesus one time. I haven't had a chance to listen to that message yet, but I must have mentioned Him at least once.

Anyway, it keeps the weekly criticisms batting 1000.

Ok, I don't mean to sound critical and like I'm mad or something. I'm not! But I do get frustrated from time to time when I see these misconceptions being lived out every week. Fortunately, for me, the church I pastor, Abundant Life Church, consists mostly of really cool and great people. Many love to worship and come with a heart to do so. A lot more are learning to give themselves to God in worship, and the critical voices, will, you'll always have those to contend with.

So those are the misconceptions. Next blog entry I'll write more about loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.