Worship - It's all about me!

My original title for this was going to be Worship – it’s NOT all about me. Then as I wrote this, I discovered something different. Please read on…

Are these your thoughts/words during/after a weekly worship service?

• I hate that song / praise music / musical rendering…
• The pastor’s sermon is too long
• The announcements take forever…we can read the bulletin, you know
• Save a tree – reduce the number of the bulletin inserts
• Are they ever going to get through the prayer?
• They’re asking for more money…again!
• Did you see what so&so was wearing?
• Did you hear what so&so did/said
• Somebody took my seat!

I admit that some of these thoughts go through my head as I sit in church. And these thoughts limit and stifle my music ministry because all I can think of is, “How many people am I going to offend today?” I often feel nothing but spitefulness from the church people around me. And that’s probably a reflection of my feelings toward them.

I can’t change the church, but I can change me. So how can I change my attitude?

I believe that if we go into our worship service with the right attitude, then we will leave with the right attitude and be uplifted in ways we did not expect. If we go in EXPECTING to get something from the worship service, then we won’t. And if we only worship God once a week in church, we only feel more exasperated when we leave and our expectations have not been met. (See comments June 20th)

Therefore, we should enter our worship service with an attitude of giving. Here are questions that we should ask ourselves before we enter the door of the church:

• How are I am going to give myself to God today?
• Is my heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit for His purpose?
• What am I going to share with one of my brothers/sisters in Christ?
• How am I going to reach out to the stranger beside me?
• Am I going to make a difference to someone today?

We all know the adage, “it is better to give than to receive”. We have all experienced that wonderful sense of warmth and pleasure when we see someone’s face light up when we give them the perfect present. So let us give our church a present every time we enter the building. If we think of ourselves as a gift to our church then imagine how faces will light up around us in pleasure – not only by what we do, but what God is able to do through us.

Worship is not about the music, the sermon, the music, the pews, the building...instead it IS about me – me and my relationship with God and my willingness to be open to Him. God gave me the gift of His Son; I need to be a gift to God.

My prayer: Lord, help me to be a gift unto you. Let me walk into your church with an attitude of giving. Let me be open to the work of the Holy Spirit. Let me reach out and bear a gift to my brother/sister. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.