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Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! -- Psalm 96:9
If I were to give this article another title or name, I would call it the "Good Ole Boys Club." Many years ago, we were at a fair in the mountains of Pennsylvania. We bought a fish sandwich and sat down at a table to eat. We began to chat with an older lady across the table from us. Before we realized it, it was almost time for us to start back home and we had never left the table. We were still enjoying our new friendship.
We began to visit her at her home and share some of life's experiences with each other. I considered her to be a Christian, but when a crisis arose in the church she attended, I began to question her spiritual condition. She had no desire to grow spiritually or visit a new church where truth was taught. She had her friends and social interaction. That's what worship was to her. Instead of putting God at the center, she was at the center, it was more of a "feel-good club."
At least 20 years ago a young man was informed of a church in another state that was looking for a pastor. Some members of the congregation had died or moved and the church was getting smaller. They wanted a pastor who could keep the boat afloat and lead them spiritually. The young man moved his family and became the new pastor.
After he was there a few years, he began to realize the people really didn't want the church to grow. They were happy with their own little club. They wanted to preserve the church as it was, as they had known it. They were only interested in their small group and a certain amount of money to keep the church going. Spiritual and numerical growth was not something they were striving for.
So what do these stories have to do with the local church today? Simply this, our worship is to be God-centered on Sunday morning not man-centered. And spiritual growth (being conformed to the image of Christ), should be a priority. It is the sovereign, eternal God that we gather to worship. Let's sing praises to Him! Let's learn more about Him and His character. Let's proclaim the good news of His salvation. Let's declare His glory among the nations, and his wonders among the people.
The congregation can be led in prayers of submission, thanksgiving, adoration, and praise as we glorify the God of our salvation. King Solomon led the people of Israel in prayer and worship in I Kings 8:23, "Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their hearts.
So how does all this apply to the church today? Our Sunday morning worship service should be about God. We don't need another "good ole boys club." The countryside is full of them. We need to put God first in our lives, not the church, money, a Bible translation, material things, pleasures, or indulgence in the things of this world. Instead of worrying about that warm, fuzzy feeling, let's put God first in our lives as Jesus told us to in Matthew 22:37.
Contact the author at thoughtsonword@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.
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Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published four books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016, Eye of a Needle in 2017, Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019 and A Bridge Between in 2023. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children's book.