High Church Revisited
I first posted most of this three years ago. I feel the need to update it.
It's 1 am and we just got home. At 8 pm we attended a candlelight Christmas Eve service at the Northlake Church of Christ. It was simple, reserved, and quiet, patterned after the traditional Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols of the Anglican tradition. The people directly involved were prepared and performed their parts well. It was a good atmosphere for reflection.
The service ended around 9 or so, and we went to Applebee's for coffee and dessert. Then we headed for Eastminster Presbyterian Church for their 11 pm Christmas Eve service. When we are in town for Christmas Eve we do this with the Collins family.
When we arrived, people were quietly taking their seats. At 10:30 the organist started playing a half hour or so of Christmas music that you don't hear so much. Then the lights dimmed and one of the men did the call to worship from the rear of the room that was followed by a processional. Everyone in the processional was wearing robes or suit & tie. The service included lovely music, responsive prayers, a short message, and communion. Another good time for reflection.
Slowly I came to the realization that what I had just witnessed left me thinking upward. And what we normally do on Sunday morning leaves me feeling rather hollow.
So what is the point of worship? It's not entertainment. It's not emotion. It's a statement that God is God, The Creator, The Savior, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omnicient. God is not casual and relaxed. And I don't believe we should be casual and relaxed about Him. Worship should leave us more aware of how high, how great, how powerful He is, and how magnificient that He should care about us enough to become mortal and die for us. Worship should leave us thinking upward. If we are thinking upward, the outward will automatically follow.
Yes, we want people to be comfortable in worship regardless of where they are in their spiritual walk, but if we give the impression that they are already ok what reason do they have to look higher?
I'm not saying we need organs and robes and dramatics. I'm saying we need to take God seriously and acknowledge that we are struggling to be what we ought to be. We should be offering our best to God and praying for His mercy. I'm afraid instead we've decided that we are really ok already because God's grace will take care of us. We've lost the reason for worship.
It's 1 am and we just got home. At 8 pm we attended a candlelight Christmas Eve service at the Northlake Church of Christ. It was simple, reserved, and quiet, patterned after the traditional Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols of the Anglican tradition. The people directly involved were prepared and performed their parts well. It was a good atmosphere for reflection.
The service ended around 9 or so, and we went to Applebee's for coffee and dessert. Then we headed for Eastminster Presbyterian Church for their 11 pm Christmas Eve service. When we are in town for Christmas Eve we do this with the Collins family.
When we arrived, people were quietly taking their seats. At 10:30 the organist started playing a half hour or so of Christmas music that you don't hear so much. Then the lights dimmed and one of the men did the call to worship from the rear of the room that was followed by a processional. Everyone in the processional was wearing robes or suit & tie. The service included lovely music, responsive prayers, a short message, and communion. Another good time for reflection.
Slowly I came to the realization that what I had just witnessed left me thinking upward. And what we normally do on Sunday morning leaves me feeling rather hollow.
So what is the point of worship? It's not entertainment. It's not emotion. It's a statement that God is God, The Creator, The Savior, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omnicient. God is not casual and relaxed. And I don't believe we should be casual and relaxed about Him. Worship should leave us more aware of how high, how great, how powerful He is, and how magnificient that He should care about us enough to become mortal and die for us. Worship should leave us thinking upward. If we are thinking upward, the outward will automatically follow.
Yes, we want people to be comfortable in worship regardless of where they are in their spiritual walk, but if we give the impression that they are already ok what reason do they have to look higher?
I'm not saying we need organs and robes and dramatics. I'm saying we need to take God seriously and acknowledge that we are struggling to be what we ought to be. We should be offering our best to God and praying for His mercy. I'm afraid instead we've decided that we are really ok already because God's grace will take care of us. We've lost the reason for worship.
posted by KathyGS at
4:00 AM
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