A few years ago when we moved back to the Seattle area, Mike and I began the arduous task of “church shopping”.
During this time I began to look at church from a very cynical and critical viewpoint. It was quite annoying to my husband who tends to be the idealist in our marriage. One day, a dear friend of ours asked how the church hunt was going. As I began to recount to him things I didn’t like about each congregation we had visited (including his!), he gently admonished me, specifically on the topic of worship. He lovingly pointed out to me that I sounded like a “consumer” of worship, rather than a participant of worship. OUCH! It kinda shook the nonsense out of my head. I began to view the process differently, seeking instead to find a church in which I would be challenged to actively partcipate in worship. Last night I was reminded of that conversation while watching the Seattle Sounders win the U.S. Open Cup! WOOT WOOT!
Sitting in the 100 level, I had a good view of most of the other spectators. It is said that the Seattle Sounders have THE most enthusiastic fans in the MLS, with the highest attendance numbers of any team in the league. As you can tell from the pic above, people (like me and the hubby) do get a little wild and crazy at these games. There are the spectators whom I would I call the active particpants: those who scream, shout, and jump up and down, banging their drums, waving their scarves and flags. Then there are the passive consumers: those who merely observe the game from their seats, they want to relax, sit back, take it all in, and enjoy the game from the “comfort” of their seats (which really aren’t that comfortable!).
If most people had a choice, the spectators would sit in different sections of the stadium, divided into active participants and passive consumers.
I think these same differences could describe the broad spectrum of my style of worship. There are days when I’m actively participating in worshipping God, praising Him for who He is and seeking His purpose for my life. There are times when I feel so close to Him, and become active in changing the things in my heart that He doesn’t want for me. And there are days when I passively sit in worship, expecting God to make something amazing happen in my heart. It’s almost as if I’m shopping for God, saying “Alright, I’m here in your house. Show me who You are so I can get something out of this and get outta here.”
In his book entitled Here I am to Worship, award winning songwriter and worship leader, Tim Hughes, says that our attitude in worship should be that of John the Baptist who says in John 3:30:
30He must become greater; I must become less.
Worship is not about my needs or my wants, but about changing my heart. True worship takes the focus off of me, and puts the focus on God. Thank goodness the pastoral staff at our church has the wisdom and discernment to know that it could take up to 45 minutes of worship for some people, like me, to get past myself and start focusing on God. I’ve heard some grumblings from newcomers that our worship time is too long, wishing we could just “get it over with”. Honestly, I have had those moments myself. I come into church a little grumpy, flustered from having to get 3 kids out of the house looking presentable. Then I have to act like I actually want to be there, when I often don’t feel like going to church. Thank goodness God grants me grace in those moments! I’m so grateful that He is patient with me. He desires that I’m actively partcipating in changing the focus of my heart from my needs and desires, to His purposes. That I move from passive consumption to active participation.
A few years ago, my book club read The Shack by William P. Young. Young’s depiction of the Holy Spirit as a gardener really resonated with me. I love the image of the Holy Spirit, tilling the soil with us, helping us to pull out the weeds. The work of the Holy Spirit is active. But, He wants us to be co-laborers with Him. He wants our active participation in the garden.
I hope you are challenged this week to actively participate in a heart change, from a me focus to a God focus. And if it requires a little face paint to make it a little more exciting, I say go for it and be sure you use glitter.
There are many different styles of worship, liturgical, traditional, hybrid, etc. How does your style of worship help you to be an active participant, and a true worshipper? What does your style of worship say to others about your faith?
And if I do, I promise I’ll post it on my blog!
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