Articles
Worship: Giving and Getting
I remember as a young preacher visiting with a brother who did not come to worship regularly. My intent was to encourage him to do better. He explained that the problem was, often he just didn’t get much out of it.
I have no doubt that this brother was being honest with me. Perhaps you feel that way about worship too. If so, I’ll suggest two questions for you to consider, the same two that I put to this brother.
Why don’t you get much out of worship?
There might be several reasons why one gets little from worship. There may be a deficiency in how worship is being conducted. Perhaps the prayer leader could be more thoughtful rather than reciting the same few lines each time. Perhaps the song leader needs to branch out to some different songs, or perhaps he has branched out too much, selecting so many songs we don’t know that it detracts. Then there’s the preacher: his lessons may well be too simple or too difficult, too long or too short, too this or too that. These problems are nothing new. They are not limited to only one or two congregations. Most Christians have learned to work through them and continue to worship God as He directs.
There may be a deficiency in the worshiper’s participation. He may not be focused. He may be doing more sitting in than joining in. If so, this may point to what is often the real problem. . .
There may be a deficiency in the worshiper’s interest. I don’t get much out of operas. In part that is because I don’t understand them, but mostly it is because I have no interest in them. I fear that is why some get so little from worship: there just isn’t much interest. Again, this is nothing new. Some in Malachi’s day said of worshiping God’s way, “How tiresome it is” (1:13). The popular way to address this problem is to revamp worship, making it more entertaining and sensually appealing. That is no solution at all. Worship must be in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). The solution is not to change worship, it is to the change the worshiper, to change his heart. He must repent.
How much do you give in worship?
Worship is more about giving than receiving. Yes, we should expect to receive instruction and encourage-ment, but we come to give, not just to get. I am not thinking primarily about monetary giving, though that is involved (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). We come to give praise and thanks to God (Hebrews 13:15). We come to teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16). Our presence and participation stimulates and encourages others present (Hebrews 10:24-25). One’s participation is a means of proclaiming the gospel (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Giving more in worship will surely help us get more out of it. Remember, Jesus said there is more blessing in giving than in receiving (Acts 20:35).
