Steps Toward Unity in Worship

Romans 12:1-5

The continued emphasis and focus on worship style these past few decades is disheartening. It seems worship has become the ultimate "selfie". We would not admit to leaving God out of our Sunday morning gatherings, but sometimes we put Him in second place behind our style preferences. We are not worshipping as "one body" as the scripture reference says, but rather as strangers lined up at a breakfast buffet waiting to be pleased.

Among the Christian community, churches are identified more by their worship style than almost any other criteria. Doctrine, faith statement, ministry and identification as the body of Christ are taking second place to worship style identifications such as traditional, contemporary or blended.

We are not worshipping together. Not only have we divided ourselves, but we seem alienated within our own venues. We sprinkle ourselves out across large worship centers for what appears to be a "siloed" worship time; the "holy separated". The community of encouragement referenced in Colossians 3:16 is weak at best.

The Friar is still holding out for unified worship; a place where God's preferences are more the focus and personal preferences are gradually fading away as we mature and grow in our faith.

Avoiding the style debate, there are practical and physical steps that will gradually grow the UNITY of faith family worship. There are concrete actions that will help balance the focus on God and one another. Here is a list of practical and challenging actions that open a dimension of worship that builds unity and draws us together in the arms of our heavenly Father.

1. Move. Take a new seat in worship. Sit close enough to hear another sing. I realize this is going to be tough for some. Get over yourselves and sing to God.

2. Notice. Look around and notice who is engaged in worship. You might have to work at this. But it is a good exercise learning how to worship physically. When the song says, lift your hands, take them out of our pockets and lift them.

3. Engage. If you find it easier to engage with God than a faith family member this should be a spiritual wakeup call. Engaging with God and our faith family can be challenging. Introduce yourself to someone nearby; tell them you are thanking God for them (and then do it); ask if there is something you can pray with them about or praise with them about (and do it).

4. Benediction. Share a word of closing with those around you at the end of worship. "Peace to you"; "I will pray for....” (what they requested); "It was good to worship with you today. Will you worship with me next Sunday at this time?"; etc.

These practical steps will change your worship and begin to grow unity in your faith family worship, regardless of the style.

The Friar

Ancestry

Ancestry 

 John 15

 For the most part I think most of us dismiss or try to avoid media advertisements (commercials on television). We use these commercial breaks during our favorite sports show, or soap opera as an opportunity to run to the kitchen for a snack or take a restroom break. It may be only during the annual football championship game that television commercials take center stage. These mostly humorous vignettes of salesmanship vary from informational to annoying. They also are sometimes an unsettling look in the mirror as they reflect our social and moral values.

 

One particular set of ads is selling an opportunity to identify our ancestral roots.  If I can summarize, it usually starts with someone who is mistaken about their lineage. They thought they were Irish, for instance, but after sending their DNA to a laboratory for analysis, they found they were more German. The narrative continues as they confess to being misdirected in who they were and now are more content and happy in finding who they really are. The ad closes with them actually correcting their dress to be more in line with this new identity.

 

The need for identity is strong within us all. We want to belong; we want to identify with a group. Whether it be family, nationality, club or organization, we seem to long for roots. Once we have landed, we want the uniform.  Not only do we want to find our social niche but we want others to see it. We seek out the language and culture of this alter ego and buy the costume. 

 

While we celebrate our individuality in American culture, there is an irony here as this commercial advertisement is appealing to another side of us. We want to belong and we are willing to dress the part of uniformity. It seems in this one instance we are willing to give up our uniqueness and gladly step out as more conformed to a single identity; looking the same, being the same.

 

Being part of a faith family is more than a statement of faith. Living out our faith in worship is a unifying event that should serve to remind us of our common lineage. We are all branches of the same vine. Identifying with our roots (our lineage) means we should be willing to give up our own agenda and take on the identity we proclaim.  Too much of the time our pre-occupation with individuality impedes our corporate worship. 

 

Once we have acknowledged our spiritual DNA, we change our wardrobe and spiritually dress in a new way. We need to shed our individual uniqueness for a holy hour and worship as one body, robed in His righteousness alone, all looking exactly the same…..sinners saved by grace.

the friar