Is Worship a Spectator Sport?

Why is the worship of our churches so one-sided? Why do we come to spectate rather than participate? And why do we judge the quality of services primarily by what our worship leaders and pastors do? The Apostle Paul explained that we all have important work to do: “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” Paul assumed that people would come to worship focused more on giving than receiving.

As a young seminarian Mark Buchanan’s favorite professor read a letter in class from a former student. In that letter the student thanked this professor for his daily class devotionals. The student claimed that while other studies depleted him, those devotionals saved his faith. Though many professors would have been flattered by such praise, this one certainly was not: “Why did he depend on my devotionals to feed him, and not his own? Why did he need to eat from my hand? Why didn’t he gather food with his own hands?”

Good questions. And is this what is at the heart of our problems in our churches? Before we can bring extra food for our brothers we first must learn how to prepare food for ourselves. We would be ready to share a hymn or a word of encouragement or an answer to prayer if we were regularly feeding at God’s banquet.

There is such an incredible bounty available for our hungry souls. If you don’t know how to feed yourself, find someone to teach you. But don’t spend the rest of your life depending on your Mommy to feed you your bottle.

"Holy Charades"

“Holy Charades”

The testimony of many couples seeking a divorce is simply: “We don’t love each other any more.” I know a marriage counselor who responds to that explanation with: “Terrific! Now you can get down to the business of what marriage is really about.” He then explains to them the difference between romantic love and Biblical commitment.

We have been taught that our feelings are supreme and therefore, must be obeyed. If I don’t feel love then the relationship must be doomed. But in Paul’s love chapter he isn’t concerned about feelings, he is concerned about actions. In explaining the nature of love Paul used verb after verb, shouting that love is fundamentally about what we do, not how we feel.

C.S. Lewis has observed that we do not naturally like everyone. And he advised: “Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did.” But isn’t that hypocrisy? Only if you are doing it for show. As Paul explains in Colossians we are to “dress up” with deeds of love: “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Like children who are learning to be adults by putting on Mom’s and Dad’s clothing, we are putting on Christ’s clothes so that our love will grow up. As Lewis explains: “Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already.” We often must ignore negative feelings while we get busy serving the other person:

• I give up a golf game because I know my wife needs help -- not because passionately want to help her.
• I learn the names of the children of my nemesis at work so that I can ask about their welfare.
• I help an elderly neighbor shovel his driveway in spite of his grouchiness toward my kids.
• I make a phone call to talk with a friend who has seemed cold and distant lately.

Such acts eventually lead to a deep love because God is at work beside us and within us to transform us.

"Bit by Bit"

No progress in the Christian life comes by accident -- it comes by design. The apostle Peter informed us that we must “make every effort to add to faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” Like Paul, Peter believed that the highest attribute to be developed is love. And we become great lovers one building block at a time -- add to this ... add to this ... add to this.

As we have been studying Paul’s love chapter, we have been confronted with many deficiencies in our loving. The assignment this week is the same as last: pick one or two building blocks to place in the wall of the spiritual house you are constructing.

• Are the irrational and disruptive comments of your 7th grade students making you irritable?
• Do the weak communication skills of your husband feel unbearable?
• Is your child’s unwillingness to help around the house pushing you toward an explosion?
• Does your spouse exasperate you because it feels like you give way more than you receive?
• Do you find yourself becoming jealous of the time your wife spends with her friends?
• Do you hope that a former employee who deserted you to start a similar business will fail?
• Do you find it difficult to forgive the coolness of your best friend?
• Do you find yourself becoming impatient with everyone near the end of the day?

As God reveals to you the deficiencies in your love, ask Him to direct you to one or two responses that you would like to work on. This is a process. You will certainly stumble as you learn new ways to respond. Old habits don’t die easily!

Next Prayer/Potluck: March 12, Curt & Jolene Kreps, 6:00 P.M.