Thoughts About Our Worship
by Jim Kenaston
When we see what strikes us as negative behavior patterns among our fellow Christians, we should be duly circumspect as we weigh how best to move forward in discussing such things, hoping to find ways of offering an edifying word on what can be delicate matters.
A concern that has occurred to me within Christian circles is our attitude toward the worship of our Lord. I’m not concerned about our techniques, whether we resort to traditional hymns or contemporary music, for instance, but whether our worship reflects a heart that loves the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
Such a question indeed requires circumspection, as it’s easy to find fault in the practice of others while being blind to our own failings.
The behavior that raises a question for me is our practice of entering our worship services with part of our breakfast in hand.
Perhaps we’ve gotten so used to multitasking that we’ve become thoughtless about what we’re doing as we enter a time of worship of our God and King. Or maybe the past 100 years of training ourselves in modes of passive entertainment have formed us into a people who find it quite natural to treat worship as just another form of entertainment. In most contexts, this probably doesn’t matter, though we may want to pause to consider what we’re doing as we enter a time of worshiping God as our Creator, Savior, and King.
We can be critical of our culture where people have come to define themselves according to their appetites (whether a sexual appetite or otherwise), though we may do well to ask whether we’re in fact worshiping our own appetite, as we can’t seem to set it aside and fast for a mere hour of our Sunday mornings.
We’re willing to call for times a prayer and fasting when an issue is of great importance to us, such as an election, though there is apparently nothing special about our regular times of worship, such that we might set aside our appetite for a time. (Out of respect for a given family, we would not bring our coffee into a wedding ceremony or to a funeral, but for some reason we’re not showing this same level of respect for God.)
It makes sense to me that we should encourage times of fellowship, and where a spirit of hospitality is part of such gatherings (most weddings and funerals have a food reception afterward). In the case of our worship, perhaps we can arrive early and separate our time of fellowship from times set aside for formal worship.
Our fellowship is with each other, but we come together as a fellowship to worship our God. We might do well to think about hospitality as an opportunity to give of ourselves to each other (rather than reduce it to merely sharing of light snacks and drinks). Our worship service is a time for us to attend to God and His Word. Are we being irreverent when we conflate the two?
Perhaps I’m being too harsh in calling attention to this issue. I’m aware that I could be interpreted as being either a pharisee or the “weaker brother” of I Corinthians 8:9-13. Of course nobody wants to live under the tyranny of the “weaker brother” (nor a pharisee, for that matter). I can only ask that readers be willing to consider the message here, rather than focus on the potential failings of the messenger.
In sharing this concern, I’ll pray for the Lord’s continued work in my own heart and life, and that I will grow in discipleship. Let’s follow His Spirit’s lead as to whether He calls us to change any of our habits or patterns in our worship (and in other areas of our lives).
