i love the concept of worship being undistractingly excellent. i do not strive for my worship ministry to be perfect and i am definitely not in the business of entertaining people. it drives me nuts when i see or hear of churches that use all the “bells and whistles” to entice people to come to church. as karl clausen says, “i am not being judgmental, just exercising judgement.” (lol) as a worship pastor who is passionate about making the name of God famous in our world, i think this is something that needs to be called out. we should not be seeking to entertain people, period. we should be seeking to direct their attention and affection toward the living God who can powerfully change their lives. i know those who seek to entertain say that it is simply used as a means to get them in the door and then they hear the gospel. well, i’m sorry but i don’t buy it. first of all, humans are not fish that need to be lured in by bate. we are humans with souls that ultimately long after God whether we know it or not. second of all, the “gospel” that they are receiving after they are lured in is often not really the full gospel. it is a watered down, diluted one that is pleasing to the ears. so, why don’t we get out into our communities, share the gospel, which is everyone’s ultimate need, and let the power of Jesus radically change their lives? why don’t we conduct our worship services in a manner that keeps God’s glory at the center instead of man’s best interest? why don’t we allow the power of the almighty God to set us on fire and know that when that happens, people will come to “watch the flames burn?” my point is simply this, brothers and sisters, God receiving glory, honor, and praise is the most ultimate destiny of everything. so, lets conduct our services in such a way that we seek those things. yes, we will experience community, exhortation, and all of the other things the bible says we should do when we come together. lets not seek to entertain one another. lets not seek to “tickle” each other’s ears with things we want to hear. lets let the power of the living God convict and change us, those we come in contact with, and those that walk through our doors. enough with the moving concert lights and smoke!
sunday 12.4.11′s songs…
