Worshiping or Attending

We seem to have confused worship with going to church.  I often hear people say they might go, couldn't go, can't go, decided not to go to church as if it was just another event in their calendar. In John 4, Jesus tells the woman at the well that "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."  God is always seeking to have fellowship with us within corporate worship and individually.  True--one does not have to attend a church to worship.  Yet, if a time for believers to gather to worship in spirit and truth is set, true worshipers of the Lord should be there.

Instead of an event to attend, we need to see it as a date with the God of all the universe.  It's an invitation to come into the presence of the Holy God.  Robert Foster in "Celebration of Discipline" writes, "Worship is our response the the overtures of love from the heart of the Father.  Its central reality is found "in spirit and truth."  It is kindled within us only when the Spirit of God touches our human spirit. Forms and rituals do not produce worship, nor does the disuse of forms and rituals.  We can use all the right techniques and methods, we can have the best possible liturgy, but we have not worshiped the Lord until Spirit touches spirit...Until God touches and frees our spirit we cannot enter this realm.  Singing, praying, praising all may lead to worship, but worship is more than any of them.  Our spirit must be ignited by the divine fire."

Anticipating and expecting to be ignited by the divine fire of God every time we worship will change our attitude about church attendance.  If we look at worship services that way, we will find it hard to say, "I might meet, couldn't meet, can't meet, decided not to meet with God. 

Just a thought.  See you Sunday?

Pastor Jeff