2 Chronicles 5:11-14
I have read many articles on worship that refer to good or
better worship that present a tried and true formula of liturgy (liturgy =
recipe) that will revitalize congregational worship. Mix a bowl of well-blended music, add a
sprinkling of relevant Scripture, insert the right amount of prayers and flavor
with a tasty homily; bake it in a warm worshipful attitude and you can’t miss.
Right? Well, maybe. Maybe not.
Before you read further, remember this series of blog
entries are for the worshipper in the pew, not worship leaders.
In my pilgrimage of Christian congregational worship, I have
come to learn the quality of our worship experience is not so much about our
efforts to reach a perfect mix of ingredients as it is about overcoming an affection
for our liturgy. As a congregation gathered for worship, we need to step beyond
the recipe and worship God outside the limits we set with preferred styles. Are we married to a tradition that defines us
as footloose or straight-laced? Is our focus truly on the presence of God, or are
we more concerned with staying between the “lines that bind”?I believe our challenge in Christian worship is to take good worship and make it better, hoping for the best worship of all.
Good worship is intentional. Good worship involves ingredients that are consistent with whom we honor.
Hymns, prayers and Scripture unify us
and point us in a single direction. Good
worship is when our minds and hearts are remembering who we are and who God is.
Better worship is when we move beyond the recipe of good
worship. We purposefully or accidentally deviate from our usual path or
tradition. (Maybe you wandered into the
contemporary service when you meant to attend the traditional worship service.)
Like children, our crayon sometimes strays outside the lines or a tree might be colored
blue instead of green. I vividly recall
when our refrigerator was covered with drawings and cards for Mom and Dad. What appeared as chaotic scribbles were cherished works of art by my wife
and me. Those young expressions of
thankfulness were precious in our site. Better worship is more related
to effort; not the effort of master craftsmen, but more like a stumbling
toddler learning to walk.
When we worship, we are not dependent upon an undisturbed path that stays between the lines. Remember, our best efforts are as a scribbled crayon.
the friar
Wonderful, John. I especially liked your analogy of our worship being like a child's work of art on his parents' refrigerator. It really puts things into perspective.
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