Word for Word
by Rev. Kim Gates
Do you like to have fun? Do you avoid church services because they’re non-fun (i.e. boring, outdated, or irrelevant to your life)? I like to have fun and I try not to make worship too boring or same ole’ same ole’. However, any worship service will only be as fun and exciting as you allow it to be. You’ve got to put something into it before you’ll get anything out of it! If you go to worship with the attitude that it’s a waste of time, then duh, it’s probably not going to trip your trigger and make you think, “Hey, I feel happy and joyful!” But if you went seeking to be touched by God’s grace and love you never know when you might find yourself enjoying the experience or being totally blown away by the awesomeness of it all!
I found an interesting little story on Facebook called the “Marriage Box” which illustrates my point (and since our wedding service makes reference to marriage as being like the relationship between God and us or between Christ and the Church I found this very appropriate:
“Most people get married believing a myth that marriage is a beautiful box full of all the things they have longed for - companionship, intimacy, friendship, etc. The truth is, that marriage at the start is an empty box, you must put something in it before you can take anything out. There is no love in marriage, love is in people, and people put love in marriage. There is no romance in marriage, you have to infuse into your marriage. A couple must learn the art, and form the habit of giving, loving, serving, praising, and of keeping the box full. If you take out more than you put in, the box will be empty.”
Most people go to church (if they go) expecting to “get something out of it.” People believe it is the responsibility of worship leaders to entertain or motivate or inspire them so they can go out feeling good about themselves and “make it through the week.” You wanna get your money’s worth, don’t ya?! But besides maybe throwing a few bucks in the offering plate, what else are you willing to GIVE to it? If a husband or wife doesn’t put anything in the marriage box – no love, no companionship, no romance - it will be empty, and if you don’t contribute to the worship service with a positive, praise-minded presence then the experience will be flat i.e. “empty.”
The most seemingly “boring” service can hold great joy even if you personally aren’t being intensely inspired by the sermon. Look around at those with whom you’re worshipping. Is there a child who really got into the kids’ message? Pray for them for continued enthusiasm. Is there an elderly person who had a peaceful-n-pleased countenance about them? Give thanks to God for that person’s serenity. Was there a particularly pretty prelude, hymn, special music? Praise God for the musician sharing their talent! Ah, but see, you have to “put in” the effort to take the time to look around and then engage with God.
My prayer is that you find the next service you attend to be a wonderful and joyful experience because you go with an attitude of giving yourself to it, and that, because of your willingness to go with a positive attitude, you’ll actually find elements of the service to be fun! After all, the Lord loves a cheerful “giver” whether it is a giving of the self through one’s time, tithe or talents!
