Worship: A high-risk occupation

Continuing our worship series on practices of the church, Pastor Phil Kniss pointed out that “worship wars” have divided many congregations. When we develop worship services with the goal of attracting people to come to worship because they feel happy, when we try to appease everyone’s preferences, then we miss the point of worship. That represents a consumer mindset, and worship is not a consumer product. Worship is aimed at an audience of one - God! For us, worship is God-ordained work which we have been given to bring God delight. It is not meant to meet our needs. Worship shapes our identity by reminding us that we are God’s creation, called to be God’s people. We give up our needs to attend to what God desires. In Luke 18:9-17, two men enter the temple to worship. Only the one who repents and seeks mercy is justified. In Romans 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to offer our whole selves in worship. Can we do that?