When I became youth pastor at my current church, I had a job description that probably looks very similar to many other youth ministry job descriptions. Maybe all job descriptions. There was a line towards the end of the list of my roles that said; other duties as assigned.
It's a bad thing to have that line in a youth ministry job description for two reasons. First, you shouldn't use the duty around youth pastors. After all, we hang around middle schoolers and this just begs us to chuckle at the use of words that can have double meanings.
Secondly, and more importantly, those other duties (snicker) can begin to swallow your time whole.
I digress.
I digress.
I was leading in worship and shared some thoughts, but I thought I would use this space to expound.
Have you ever had one of those Sundays when you simply wanted to get into the worship time? Maybe most Sundays are a battle between how your reality looked the rest of the week and your desire to engage in worship. It's not that you don't love God. It's just that the rest of life really gets in the way. It can be really distracting.
However, let me offer two details.
We are always worshiping something.
If not something greater than us (God), then something lesser than us (false gods). Or even worse, we will hold ourselves in the highest esteem. It's a simple equation. Look at your last week and find out where your greatest energies were directed. That's what you worship.
Don't get this confused with the things we do as an act of worship for God. After all, I believe God did create us to worship in our work. And if everything we are called to do, both work and play, is done with a heart full of joy and thanksgiving, then we are living a life of worship.
If that's true, then...
You should bring your worship (of God) with you.
If Sunday morning is where your worship of God begins and ends, then I would suggest that worship of God is not what you have been participating in. Perhaps what you worship is some habit of appeasing your parents or your spouse. Maybe your worship is only a shadow of what is actually true.
But if God has been what you have been worshiping, then that overflow will come in and unite that worship with everyone else who is bringing in their worship. Unity, who knew?
So, the next time you enter a church, be sure you're ready to worship. Perhaps you will be so ready you will want the worship leader to stop talking so you can get to it. But, seriously, let him speak. After all, he did prepare.
So, who has your worship?
Have you ever had one of those Sundays when you simply wanted to get into the worship time? Maybe most Sundays are a battle between how your reality looked the rest of the week and your desire to engage in worship. It's not that you don't love God. It's just that the rest of life really gets in the way. It can be really distracting.
However, let me offer two details.
We are always worshiping something.
If not something greater than us (God), then something lesser than us (false gods). Or even worse, we will hold ourselves in the highest esteem. It's a simple equation. Look at your last week and find out where your greatest energies were directed. That's what you worship.
Don't get this confused with the things we do as an act of worship for God. After all, I believe God did create us to worship in our work. And if everything we are called to do, both work and play, is done with a heart full of joy and thanksgiving, then we are living a life of worship.
If that's true, then...
You should bring your worship (of God) with you.
If Sunday morning is where your worship of God begins and ends, then I would suggest that worship of God is not what you have been participating in. Perhaps what you worship is some habit of appeasing your parents or your spouse. Maybe your worship is only a shadow of what is actually true.
But if God has been what you have been worshiping, then that overflow will come in and unite that worship with everyone else who is bringing in their worship. Unity, who knew?
So, the next time you enter a church, be sure you're ready to worship. Perhaps you will be so ready you will want the worship leader to stop talking so you can get to it. But, seriously, let him speak. After all, he did prepare.
So, who has your worship?
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