Does Worship Matter?

"Does Creator/God actually want us to worship them?"

I was recently drawn to this question posed on a friend's Facebook page.  I've grappled with this question several times in my life too, so I offered a comment and now have been thinking about it for the last couple of days.  It's like a little marble rolling around in my brain.    

At certain times in my life, I've felt corporate worship--and the resources churches put into it--aren't consistent with God's desire for humans. In fact, at different points, I've actually thought we need to give up on worship, or at least the form its taken over the last 200 years.  I can't actually imagine a God who wants us to use our time and money to lavish praise and adoration on him/her while people are starving and hurting in the world. 

Yet, I continue to come back to worship as the most important spiritual practice in my life (which is no surprise for you who have known me over the years).  Worship is the practice that has most intensely allowed me to experience God's grace--it impacts me, sustains me, transforms me, calls me into deeper living.  The grace I feel during worship moves me towards a response in my everyday living; this grace is the fuel for my desire to partner in Jesus' work to care for others and work for justice.  Grace is a pretty powerful motivator.  

This got me remembering I had written about this previously.  After my first three months at The Grove (the church I've served for the last 2.5 years), I noticed a diminished sense of the importance of worship among some in the community.  A few people said that they considered themselves part of the community, but they just didn't participate in worship because they "didn't get anything out of it."  That's fair.  Certainly I don't want worship to be the sole litmus test of whether someone belongs to The Grove or not.  And certainly I've experienced dry and boring worship, so I know what they are talking about when they say they "don't get anything out of it."

But I wondered whether some reframing of worship could help folks find some refreshed meaning in worship.  So I wrote three short reflections for my church during my first 7 months with them.  I realized I'd never published them beyond the church newsletter, so since it's on my mind, I thought now would be a good time to publish them here.

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WORSHIP MATTERS.... TO YOU
October, 2016

Worship can become so routine, we can forget about the power in it.  Over the next three months, I will offer three short reflections on why worship matters to 1) you, 2) others, and 3) God.

In the last year, the University of Wisconsin published two studies which showed the connection between worship participation and wellness. The research showed that those who attend weekly worship not only feel better during the time in worship, but they also have higher ratings of life satisfaction during the week than those who don’t worship. Additionally, those who participate in weekly worship spend over an hour more each week with non-household family and friends than non-churchgoers, and are more likely to volunteer on Sundays. 

The point? Worship matters to you because actively and intentionally connecting with God and others provides meaning, joy, and good health. 

It's hard to know exactly what's underneath the positive power of worship to our wellness.  In the United Methodist Church, we have a phrase called means of grace.  A means of grace is a tangible practice that opens up an avenue for us, as humans, to experience the radical, transformative, healing love and grace of God.  Through an activity we participate in, we create time and space for God's loving presence to be realized in us.  And who doesn't want to experience the love of God? 

I have no evidence that the healing power of grace is the underlying reason worship correlates with wellness.  But the language of grace certainly gives me a way to understand why worship feels so good.  

My hope is that you might also experience grace--however that may come to you.  Maybe you might experience it the next time you are singing a song with others, saying a prayer with others, or listening to a piece in worship that someone has prepared for you. 

WORSHIP MATTERS... TO OTHERS
November, 2016

Do you ever find yourself evaluating how worship felt to you as you’re driving home from church? Sometimes thoughts like these run through our heads: “That was a great service! I feel so good” or “something was missing today.” These are real thoughts and feelings and worth acknowledging as we attempt to live genuine, authentic lives.

Certainly it’s undeniable that worship is—in part—about getting your personal spiritual cup filled (as addressed last month). And worship is also much more. Each and every Sunday, God gives us the opportunity to come together as a church family to support each other, connect with each other, and do life together. Each and every Sunday, God gives you the opportunity to bless others with your presence in worship in community.  

When you find yourself evaluating your experience in worship, embrace those feelings and thoughts by recognizing that worship does and should matter to you individually…. and then move to another level. Think about the names and faces of those who care about your presence—that’s a different kind of treasure. 

When you come for worship, connect with each other. Sit next to someone sitting by themselves. Thank each other for coming. Share a hug. Share a word of encouragement. Share a story. Make plans to get coffee with someone. 

Then when you are driving home, know it’s genuine and authentic to reflect on whether you found personal inspiration in the message or the music, but also think about each person you touched because you were there.

WORSHIP MATTERS... TO GOD
December, 2016

As we learned during the WITH series [the Nov. 2016 worship series], God is always present with all of creation, including humans.  In fact, our God could not stand humans believing they could be separated from God. So God got clever, jumping into human skin to experience life as a human baby, child, and then adult to show humans how our Creator is always in our midst. 

Recognizing God’s deep love for us gives us wonder for this clever Creator who found a way to be amongst humans as a baby and continues to live amongst us in the Holy Spirit.  Recognizing God’s joy for us urges us to sing and pray and praise.  Recognizing God’s deep desire for connection with us creates a desire to connect back.  

We respond to God’s desire for connection by worshipping—it’s our tangible, visible way to connect back. 

What might God be thinking when you walk through the sanctuary doors to participate in worship? . . . Maybe something like, “Yes!  Here’s _____ (insert your name)! He/she has come today to respond to my unending, insistent presence in his/her life.” 

Worship doesn't matter because God needs us to fill God's ego with our adoration.  Worship matters to God because God desires to connect with us.