Hey, over some years now I’ve been at many churches with the worship motto, “enter to worship depart to serve”. For a while it seemed an OK slogan, but then I got to thinking (dangerous) ... “is this experience more like, an in one door and out the other deal?” Because we ‘all know coming to church and participating is important, in fact it was Jesus’ thing.
Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom (Luke 4:16).
Jesus not only was at church in his day, he knew how to participate as a worshipper in community. When he entered to worship and departed to serve, it was not an in-out experience but an “into it” reality.
Christian public worship is a high faith-community priority. We don’t just come to church, we are church. As church we come together to “do church”. Like Jesus, being together as the people of God is “our custom”.
In “chewing over” on this one I’ve become aware of 7 public and participative worship actions, attitudes and engagements of Christian custom . . .
Enter expectantly
Engage communally
Pray fervently
Worship passionately
Listen integrativly
Respond personally
Leave missionaly
Since you are reading this, you are most probably also likely to go to church sometime ... so when you next get there, ask yourself “how’s the participating?” -
Methinks I will.
