I overheard someone say that the other day... "I didn't get much out of worship." I thought about saying something but I am always cautious about coming across as condescending. This is not the first time that I have heard a statement like this and, in fact, I am sure I have said it at one time or another in my life. What irks me about a statement like this is the consumeristic nature of the statement... That somehow gathering for worship has become more about gathering to be pampered. Don't get me wrong, when we come before God in a spirit of worship we will definitely be blessed, but may 'being blessed' never precede our desire and intention to offer up our worship.And while I may have already beaten the dead horse in previous entries, this is what I find to be a continual pattern in many people's understanding of the worship time, especially in Protestant circles. We come seeing if the pastor has good insight this week, if the band plays our favorite songs with excellence, if the powerpoint/videos are appealing, and so on. I wonder if there would be as much 'church hopping' if we ceased to think this way...
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once again, this is why I love the liturgy. The liturgy doesn't point to a song or a sermon as the apex of the service, but through readings, prayers, and songs leads us to Jesus through the Eucharist. When I have Jesus body and blood to look forward to and not wondering "if I get anything out of church' I will always be fulfilled and never lack anything!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting point Jay. People tend to treat religion as entertainment and do not expect any participation on their part. At least they are honest in acknowledging that sometimes they don't get anything. Hopefully, they will have the determination to seek harder.
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