Worship Focus for the Sixth Sunday in Easter: Our Mission Depends on Our Worship

Scripture Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Easter
Acts 17:22-31, Psalm 66:8-20, I Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21

The more I understand about biblical worship, the more convinced I become that the reason that the North American Church tends to be so weak and anemic is that for the most part, we don't understand worship. One reason we fail in our mission is that we fail at worship. Our worship tends to be very self focused. Churches spend tons on "producing" slick worship services. Everything is perfect. The music is professional, the lighting is just right, video and drama keep us entertained. A lot of attention is placed on style. Unfortunately style isn't enough. We need to be paying more attention to the content of our worship. The content problem is the main problem with contemporary worship. Churches have traded mission for marketing. Many contemporary worship services are just cheesy infomercials for Jesus. The problem is that the Jesus we often attempt to market does not much resemble Jesus of Nazareth. I sometimes imagine what would happen if Jesus showed up in the flesh at a typical American mega church. I envision Him being whisked to wardrobe and make-up and then as He sits in the green room waiting to go on, he is handed a sheet with suggested "talking points." The problem with putting make-up on Jesus and trying to market Him is that the content of His message does not go over very well in our culture. How do you market the cross and the narrow road?

I've been reading a great book entitled, The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God's Call to Justice, by Mark Labberton. Every worship leader and every person involved with worship MUST read this book! The back cover of the book says, "But something has gone wrong with our worship. Too often worship has become a place of safety and complacency, a narrowly private experience in which solitary individuals only express their personal adoration. Even when we gather corporately, we often close our eyes to those around us, focusing on God but ignoring our neighbor. But true biblical worship does not merely point us upward - it should focus us outward."

In the chapter of this book entitled, "When Worship Talks to Power," Labberton says, "Our mission depends on our worship." This statement is based on the fact that true biblical worship re-orders our typical view of power. Labberton says, "There are many reasons that worship and justice are inextricable, but the central one is the reality that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9, I Corinthians 12:3). Worship acknowledges and bows, explores and confesses, seeks and depends on God's power. Justice searches and reflects, weighs and suffers, identifies and demonstrates God's power in all relationships. When we look at it this way, Christian worship...can and should be one of the most profound and relevant responses to power abuse in the world. In worship we cast our lives upon the faithful and just power of God. When we do so, we oppose all acts of unjust power. The gospel of Jesus Christ is about God's remarkable initiative and grace marshaled to realign power: the power of sin, evil, suffering, injustice and death.... In the gospel, the matchless and invincible heart of God confronts and defeats the heart of darkness and death. In its unexpected, power inverting way, the sacrificial love of God in 'Christ crucified' recasts all forms of power. That's the work and meaning of the cross. Our worship helps us remember this power realignment so we can live differently because of it."

In I Peter 3:21-22 (NIV) we read,

"21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."

This is what our worship proclaims. This new power structure has radical implications for the true worshipper. We no longer bow to the powers of this world. We know who truly holds all power and so we bow to Him alone not just when we sing, "I worship You alone," but also with the way we choose to live in this world. Unfortunately our typical contemporary worship encourages us to sing, "I worship you alone" but leaves us with a severe disconnect as to what that means once we walk out the doors of the church. True worship simply does not allow us to proclaim that we worship Him alone and then live in a way that does not testify to that fact. True worship is dangerous. It messes with our notions of safety. It knocks us out of our "cushy" zones! It causes us to go to the war torn areas of Southern Sudan and into the gang and crime ridden areas of our inner cities. It demands that if we truly believe that all authorities and powers are in submission to Him, then we won't go along with power schemes that are opposed to His rule.

Paul and Silas and Martin Luther King Jr. are examples of those who understood worship. Their songs of praise and liberation rang from their prison cells. Worship can get us into trouble because power abusers (even those in the Church) don't like their authority to be challenged.

"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." (I Peter 3:14)

Can you imagine the power the gospel would have if we just could get a hold of what it means to truly worship? Perhaps that is the main reason why the gospel tends to spread like an epidemic in places where there are the most abuses of power. It is the power of the cross, demonstrated by humble Christians who are willing to suffer persecution, that provides the most hope in the darkest places of this world.

15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (I Peter 3:15-16)

1. "...in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord." That is what we do when we worship. We get the power structure straight. Christ is Lord! He holds all power and authority.

2. "...the reason for the hope that you have." Peter seems to assume that people are going to notice when we get worship right. The reason they will notice is that we will naturally be going against the grain. We will stand out. They are going to notice that we have a strange hope and we are going to get asked about it.

3. "Always be prepared to give an answer...with gentleness and respect." Worship is what sets the stage for mission. The New Testament church was so effective in its mission because when they preached the gospel, they could always point to their worship (Acts 2:43-47) as exhibit A that the message was true. Their understanding of the new power structure in play post resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost led them to live a radically different lifestyle. And God added to their number each day those who were saved.

Instead of turning worship into a marketing spectacle, we need to allow our worship to turn us inside out. As our lives and our values are changed through both corporate and personal worship, mission is the natural outcome. It will become a part of who we are. Our mission depends on our worship!

Worship Focus for the Fifth Sunday in Easter: You Can't Build a Temple with One Stone

Fifth Sunday in Easter Scripture Readings

Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, I Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14

God’s people have always had to be on guard against Idolatry (or worship of something or someone other than God). It was true of the people of Israel in the days of the prophets and it is true today. True today? How do we practice Idolatry? We here in America love our freedom. But what has freedom become to us? I think if we gave an honest answer it would have a lot to do with Individualism. Individualism taken to the extreme is worship of self. Self worship is the most diabolical form of Idolatry.

All forms of worship, even self worship, have with it religious like rituals and liturgy. Let’s think for a moment about some of the common rituals of American “Me” worship. Why is it that most American homes have multiple TV and computer screens scattered throughout the house? Why is that people don’t buy as many CD’s and listen to music on the radio as much but instead it is common in any crowd to see a large fraction of people with their ears plugged with headphones? Why is it that when we make that gridlocked commute to work alone in our cars everyone else is also trapped and isolated in their vehicles? Why is it that if we actually choose to communicate with another it is often with these funny shorthand codes we shoot to the other person’s phone? Why is it that with the revolution in technology that is supposed to make life more efficient, we never seem to have enough time to get everything done? Why are we so tired and stressed out? When was the last time you invited a friend over for a home cooked meal and sat down over dinner for a leisurely conversation? When was the last time you took the whole day off and did nothing and didn’t feel guilty about it? Why are most Americans in debt?

“On demand” is a term that we tend to like. We like to customize the way we experience our own life and we get very annoyed by anyone or anything that gets in the way of our “on demand” lifestyle. Basically we say, “Don’t get in the way of my freedom to go where I want when I want, do what I want when I want, and to be what I want on my own terms. I have a right to be happy!”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that if you own an iPod you are an Idol worshipper. What I am saying is that we have to be aware of this “on demand” attitude. We also need to be very careful about taking it into the life of the church. I’m afraid that this “me” style of Idolatry gets practiced far more than we realize in our churches. We can have an “on demand” attitude about the churches that we feel are lucky enough to be graced by our presence. We want our kind of music, just the right pastor and sermon, and just the right programs so that we can “get spiritually fed.” But it isn’t just the people who attend church who are responsible, churches also buy into it. Many churches want to get people in the door so they spend all of their resources trying to give the people what they want. I hate to say it, but it is just simple Idolatry.

An over exaggerated “self” does not work in the Church. Take a look at this passage from I Peter 2:5 (NRSV)

…like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

There are two phrases that stand out to me here. First is, “living stones,” and second is, “be built into.” The term, “living stones” alludes to individual people. God is definitely interested in us as individuals. He created each of us unique. He shapes each of our lives through experience. But he doesn’t do that so we can just be a beautiful well shaped stone sitting isolated on the ground somewhere. One stone does not a temple make. He shapes our lives to “fit” somewhere. He shapes us to be built into His Church. We don’t lose our individual identity, but our individuality does not make sense without fitting into a whole. The phrase, “…be built into a spiritual house” sounds constricting. Does God just want me to be another brick in the wall that is constrained and stuck in one place? I think, in a sense, the answer to that is, “yes.” But you might say, “What about my freedom? Doesn’t God bring freedom?” Let’s explore freedom a bit.

Discipline and commitment are the cement that fixes us into our place in the Church. For us individualistic Americans the words, discipline and commitment, are not words we may care for much. They get in the way of our “on demand” lifestyle. But discipline and commitment are keys to real freedom. I am always amazed when I see and hear a skilled instrumentalist play. Although the music they produce is spectacular, what amazes me is the freedom and grace with which the instrumentalist plays. That instrumentalist probably had a lot of natural ability to begin with but would have never been able to play with such freedom without having put in countless minutes, hours, days, and years of committed and disciplined study and practice. So to, spiritual freedom comes with being built into something. It comes with commitment and discipline. It is not easy to give up our “on demand” lifestyle for the sake of others. Real church is hard because it goes against the norm. As long as we view the local church as a place where I go to get my spiritual needs met, then it remains a place that I can take or leave depending on my feelings and circumstances. But once we realize that we are needed in the local church just as much as the pastor and that we each have as much to contribute to the liturgy (the work of the people) as does the worship leader/team, it is not something that we can easily take or leave. Once we realize that the people in our small groups need each of us to be there for them as we need them to be there for us, how can our commitment level not increase? Once we understand what Peter is telling us here, we may have to get into the habit of honoring our commitment to make meeting at certain times and places a priority. It may require us to follow through with a commitment to use our gifts for the good of the church. It will require us to be committed to people that we may not really like, rather than running away to find a church with no one who gets on our nerves. It will certainly cause us to lose our life in order to find it. Christ set the example. He gave up His rights to an “on demand” lifestyle. After all, He was God and could do anything on demand, but He let that go to serve others and to ultimately give His life for us. He died, but He also rose. When we are willing to be built into God’s Church, we will lose what we may consider to be freedom. We have to die to self. But then comes a resurrection to new life and real freedom!

Think back to my description of the rituals of “Me” worship. All of those things are symptoms of living an “on demand” lifestyle. That kind of freedom always brings bondage. Are we really free when we spend a good portion of our day stuck in traffic, our debt is piled so high that we can hardly keep up with the bills, when we have to go to a job that we absolutely hate in order to pay those bills, when we are so busy trying to be happy that we have no time for happiness, and when we are so busy trying to be it all and do it all that we don’t have any time for meaningful relationships? Chasing freedom brings bondage. Being built into God’s Church brings real freedom. Can we truly be the people of God and come out of this very tired and sick way of life? It is not easy. Idolatry is addictive and becomes a trap. But the first step in recovery from addiction is to come to terms with the problem and then begin to take small steps toward a healthier way of life. If we begin to commit ourselves to God and to one another, the Church would become a very attractive alternative. We as God’s holy temple will become a place of refuge and rest to an overburdened, stressed out, and tired “on demand” society.

Our world so desperately needs us to cast down our idols and worship God alone. They need the hope that only the Body of Christ can bring.

Here is some poetry that I wrote a couple of years ago on the religious rituals of American idolatry:

"American Idolatry" explores "Me" worship.

"Empty Seats" is about traffic and isolation that comes from everyone wanting to go their own way in their own cars.

"Mega Church" is about church without community.

"Liturgy of God and Country" explores what happens when our national interests are really about protecting our self interests and we create an unhealthy mix of God and country.

"The Corporation" is about corporatism VS community.

Worship Focus for the Fourth Sunday of Easter: The Mystery of Suffering

Fourth Sunday in Easter Scripture Readings
Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23, I Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10

Science seems to tell us that our universe started in a sudden burst of expansion about 13.7 billion years ago. Likewise, scientific evidence indicates that modern humans arrived on the scene a relatively very recent 100 thousand years ago (give or take). In looking at the nature of how our universe, our world, and humans have been created, it seems to show us that some sort of suffering has always been a part of our existence. Many Christians state that suffering is a direct result of the fall. But that has become a simplistic answer for me. It does not explain everything about suffering. No doubt, suffering and pain most often result from the brokenness in relationship between us and God as well as with others. Our selfish independent nature has a way of breeding and amplifying suffering in this world. But that isn't the totality of it. What about natural disasters? What about accidents? What about natural occurrences of disease (especially genetic)? Are these all a result of a sin damaged world? If so, I have not yet been able to connect the dots. In the Genesis account of creation, God declares the world "Good." I don't remember seeing anywhere in the Bible that God created the world perfect. Ouch! How could a perfect and Holy God create a universe that is rife with suffering? I have to admit that for the most part, that is a mystery to me. However, I tend to believe that when God declared the world to be, "Good," He meant that it was good in the sense of being exactly what it needed to be in order for His perfect purpose for creation, and for us in particular. His purpose for us in particular means, "To be in loving relationship with God." I think the mystery of suffering revolves around the conditions that must be in place for people created in the image of our Creator, with a free will, to be in relationship with Him.

I'm no theologian, so I hope I'm not spewing heresies here, But, if God is in any way behind the conditions of suffering in this world, He more than took responsibility for it on the cross. As we see in I Peter 2:21-25, "...Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

This passage not only indicates that God took on the problem of suffering on the cross, but He also took on the responsibility of our rebellion. Because of this there is ultimate healing and a remedy for the human condition. He is the Good Shepherd that leads His creation toward His ultimate purpose (Communion). One aspect of worship is the act of recognizing that He is good and trustworthy even when we endure suffering. Worship calls us to come and kneel before the Lord OUR MAKER, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture.

(I Peter 2:25) For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Let us return to the Shepherd in the faith that our souls are in good hands.

Worship Focus for the Third Sunday in Easter: What Should We Do?

Third Sunday in Easter Scripture Readings:
Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19, I Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35

Acts 14a, 36-37 (NRSV)
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.... Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

Faith can become something that we just accept mentally but rarely works its way out into our lives. True faith in the crucified and risen Lord continually begs a question. It is not just, "What should I believe?" But also it is, "What should I do?" True belief always makes its demand in terms action. It isn't just mental acceptance. True belief is renewal of the mind. Renewal of the mind transforms the heart. Transformation of the heart finds its way to the surface in the way that we speak and act. This all begins with the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. New life is available to us through the Holy Spirit through the action of repentance.

Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Repentance is more than the mental act of being sorry. It is a "What should I DO?" Repentance comes from the true belief and recognition that I am out of step with God and going the wrong way. Repentance is a conscious act of turning around. At the point we become aware that we are out of step with God, true faith makes a demand. We can simply regret the fact that we are out of step or we can choose to turn and get our lives back in step.

One of the main reasons for God centered corporate worship is that, on a regular basis, it puts us into this place of, "What should I do?" We are confronted with Who God is and what He is about. We encounter the risen Lord in scripture and at the table. The question comes down to, "Do I really believe?" And "If I truly believe, then what should I do?" Worship challenges and activates our faith.

My Process

I'm sure every worship leader has a process for putting together a worship service. Our church has moved into a format that uses fresh expressions of worship when it comes to style, but follows the ancient pattern of worship when it comes to content and structure. This type of service requires a different type of planning. Here is what works for me currently:

1. Lot's of prayer! I pray for inspiration, creativity, and direction. It is always amazing to me how this prayer is answered when what is planned takes on a spontaneous life of its own in the services. Ultimately the Holy Spirit must guide everything and then must breathe life into what was planned and created ahead of the service.

2. Look at lots of pieces and possibilities. Whether I'm doing this on my own or with a creative planning team, I begin to look at many pieces that could form a basic theme or "storyline" for the service. After all, worship tells God's story so I start by trying to understand what aspect or angle of the story needs to be told this week. I look at the pastor's sermon and discuss it with him/her. I then look at the Revised Common Lectionary . I read and meditate on the passages and prayerfully look for the common thread(s) that run through them. I look at other liturgical resources to see what other thoughts and elements are out there. Some that I regularly look at and use are:

The Revised Common Lectionary. This where I find the scriptures for the week.
The Work of the People. This is a company that creates some really good liturgical video.
GBOD Worship. I usually look at "Worship Planning Helps" on this site.
Abingdon Worship Annual. This is a CD Rom with liturgical prayers for various parts of the service.

3. Write a theme. In a short blurb of no more than a few sentences, I try to capture "the main thing" for Sunday's services. I do this based on all I have done up to now.

4. Select music and other elements. I go into my own data base of songs which I have arranged into folders that are for each part of the service. For instance, I have a "Call to Worship" folder with songs that are appropriate calls to worship. I am constantly searching for new music as well. When I come across a good song, I usually add it to my files. I usually select the following songs:

- A Call to Worship (A song that encourages people to gather to worship such as "Come, Now Is the Time...")
- An Invocation (A song/prayer that invites the Lord to be present such as "Meet with Me")
- A Confession (A song/prayer that admits our need for God's grace and cries out for His mercy)
- A Song of Praise (A God centered song of Praise, such as "How Great Is Our God")
- Responsive Songs (Other songs that are sung in response to the reading of the Word)

Along with planning songs, I also select any other elements that will be woven in such as video, drama, dance, etc.

5. Write the Liturgy. I write out the whole service (with the exception of the sermon). I create a document that includes song lyrics, prayers, scriptures, and responses of the people. I tend to re-write, or write liturgical prayers and responses in very contemporary language so that it is understandable and is poetic without being stuffy. When it comes to scripture readings, I look at various contemporary versions to see which one is most understandable, but also does justice to the passage.

6. Create Visuals. In this day and age, it is important that there are visual metaphors used, mainly on the screen to help tell the story. So I search for stock photos and video clips that can be used.

7. Create a Service Plan. This is distributed to everyone involved so that everyone is on the same page come Sunday morning.

So there you have it. That is my process for putting together a worship service that is a fresh expression of an ancient tradition.