Why do you go to church?
For some people, it is simply the way they were raised. Perhaps it is all they have known. Maybe it’s just the thing to do on a Sunday morning. In some areas, attending church has become a cultural or social event.
Why do you attend the church that you attend?
Is it because you like the kid’s program they offer? Maybe you like the worship leader, the style of worship, the quality of the band, etc. Maybe you go because you have friends who attend. Maybe it’s because you like how the pastor preaches, or maybe you’re there because it’s where you’ve always attended.
Maybe you enjoy the causal and laid back style of the church you attend, or perhaps you like it because it holds more closely to the traditions with which you were raised.
There are countless reasons why people attend church or why we choose to attend the one we do. We are all uniquely stamped with personality, tastes, and preferences, etc. so having a variety of options isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Your fit might not look like my fit, and that’s OK.
Unfortunately, the Church is made up of human beings, which makes it far from perfect. There is always something about which to complain or something with which to disagree. Ironically enough, music typically holds the most potential for stirring controversy. It’s too loud, it’s too soft, it’s too rocky, it’s not traditional, it’s too traditional, the worship leader is this or that, etc. The list goes on.
It’s not just the music, however. There are differing opinions and perspectives on pretty much any ministry within the church, including ministry leaders and staff members. We in the capital “C” Church are quite an eclectic bunch.
How often do we approach going to church strictly from the perspective of what we like or don’t like about it? How many times have we chosen to attend or not to attend based on what’s in it for us, what we like, or what we prefer?
We often approach church like we are consumers out shopping for what we want or what effectively satisfies our needs. Of course, we will find ourselves migrating toward the expression of the church that feels like a fit for us, but beyond that, have you ever gotten up on a Sunday morning and chosen to go to church from the perspective of what’s in it for HIM? The corporate worship service is not meant to be about what’s in it for us. It is meant to be a place where we gather to offer ourselves to HIM.
If our intention is to present ourselves as an offering to God, choosing to worship Him – even if we’re not completely happy with this detail or that detail – then we are connecting more with the heart of true worship.
Worship is not about what we get out of it. Worship is about bringing everything we have to Jesus, offering our whole selves in response to the fact that He sacrificed all of Himself for us.
Next Sunday, when you get up to go to church, rather than thinking about what’s in it for you, take a minute and ask yourself, “What am I taking to church this morning? What am I presenting as an offering to Him?”
The little things that might irritate you about your church might not be as big of a distraction if your focus is on what you are giving of yourself, rather than on what you are getting out of it for yourself.
Just some food for thought.
Cathy Little has been involved in leading worship for over two decades. She is the founder and director of www.Simply-Worship.org, a ministry dedicated to developing a culture of worship that reaches beyond performance, skill, sound, and hype into the deeper places of authenticity, humility, integrity, and personal intimacy with Father God. Cathy also oversees and trains worship leaders in her home church, RiverStone, in Kennesaw, GA.
This article has been used by permission from www.WorshipMinistry.com, a website serving Worship Leaders, Musicians, Songwriters, and Church Production Professionals. Check out their articles about Leading Worship.
