I am very guilty of coming to worship with a sour taste in my mouth. I have often "done" church - instead of "lived" it. But worship is not a concert or a performance. I strongly dislike when choir or praise band members refer to our work as a "performance." I understand the idea - but our offering is no different that that of committee leaders, ushers, or Sunday School teachers. We are all using our gifts as offerings to God. When we are doing what we do for the glory of God - the attitude should be that of gratitude, respect, and joy. We worship because we are commanded to. God has given us so much and yet we return little. There is a hymn called "Because I Have Been Given Much." The first stanza says: "Because I have been given much I too must give. Because of Thy great bounty Lord, each day I Live. I shall divide my gifts from Thee with every brother (sister) that I see who has the need of help from me." What beautiful and humbling words. I want to be that help to someone. I want my worship to be the help someone needs -- and my music is simply the vehicle that helps them to see my heart. I want my life to be someone's help - not because I am great or my words/talent are great, but because my attitude and actions reflect the greatness of God.
I am a guy on a journey. A journey to somewhere great. I hope you are too. We worship each week because we are on that journey to find and know better the heart and mind of Christ. Let your life give much back to God, your family, friends, and others that you see. Here are the rest of the words to that great hymn:
Because I have been sheltered, fed by Thy good care
I cannot see anothers lack and I not share.
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread-my roof's safe shelter over head,
that he too may be comforted.
Because I have been blessed by thy great love dear Lord,
I'll share Thy love again according to Thy word.
I shall give love to those in need, I'll show that love by word and deed,
thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.
This is a great idea! What a great forum to share thoughts. I agree with all that you said, especially the part about being on a journey. I think the congregation can tell when we are "performing" and when we are genuinely worshipping -- and we just happen to be up front.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Tommy. And the site looks good too. I am guilty too often of not striving for the perfection of Christ, but being content just as I am. May my life song be one of constant worship!
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm....many thoughts here....I don't see my Christian walk as striving for perfection, although I know Christ is perfect. I focus more on His actions in different settings and try to replicate them in my life- try to grasp His heart from the scripture stories and allow the Holy Spirit show me hubris, selfishness, self-deceit as I compare His heart to mine. I seek to change and be more Christ-like, but I try to seek what He is doing in me today. I see perfection as the end- and I will not attain that in this life!
ReplyDeleteCurious thought about Christ and our form of worship being more like a performance(not just SUMC, but modern Christian churches). I do not think Christ would like us making our offerings of song at the front of the church. I wish we sang in the balcony. I wish we shared testimony of what a song means to us or how we pray the Holy Spirit will use it in worship. It FEELS like performance more often than not. People sit and watch, seeming to assess- I find myself thinking about the notes and the congregation more than my Lord.....then there are other times....times His Presence is strong with us. I felt Him this past Sunday. Did anyone else? "People Need the Lord"/ 8:30 worship. I could see it in folks' eyes and faces! I sang to Christ, not to them. It makes a difference for me....still wish we weren't up front, though...
Love it, Babe! Our Velvet Elvis study has been partially focused on accepting the "perfection" of Christ -- and rejecting the notion that our identity is primarily as sinners. Rob Bell asserts that by claiming first that we are sinners saved by grace - instead of the perfect creation of God - we are sort of missing the point. I think it is partially semantics --- but I dig the idea that we need to turn our understanding of who we are in Christ on its head. Our language too often becomes truth - whether it is Gospel or not.
ReplyDeleteLove the pursuit of honest worship - and an opportunity to share gifts. I'm proud of you for continuing to refine the gifts God gave you!
PS - Jan, I see what you are saying. The seeking of perfection is a Wesleyan idea - based on his idea of sanctifying grace. To read more: http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/perfection.stm. I think Rob Bell would agree with Wesley on this.
Thanks. I really do get the Wesleyan idea of seeking perfection. I just mean that I need to live in the moment, seek Christ in the moment. When I am seeking direction, it is not with the notion of "I want to be perfect as Christ is perfect.". It is more of "Where was Christ's heart in situations similar to this? How is my heart compared to that and where do I need to die to get closer to that heart place?". Totally a semantics thing, but I am fueled by pictures. I guess it is a "practical tactical" in striving for perfection! :>)
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