Please enter

What does your journey into worship look like? Do you find yourself rushing to get to church on time, and slipping in the door feeling breathless and stressed? Do you take a while to ‘get into’ the service, battling to keep your mind from wandering? Or do you feel prepared and expectant?

In many of the churches where I have worked there have been long conversations about how a worship service should start. Do we keep the sanctuary quiet so that people can pray as they wait for the service to start? Or do we encourage people to chat with one another? Do we make sure we start on time or do we allow some leeway so that latecomers can settle down before we begin?

These may seem like unimportant questions, but the way we enter the sanctuary can make a huge difference to our experience of worship and its impact on our lives. That’s why, in ancient Israel, the people were intentionally “called” to worship.

When the time for worship was approaching, a priest would blow a ram’s horn (or shofar) in order to sound the call to worship, and then the people would begin the journey up to the Temple. This procession became a time of preparation, both through the people walking and chatting together, and through the focused sense of moving into the sanctuary. That’s why David could sing: ‘I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord”’ (Psalm 122:1)

In my experience, though, little thought is given to the first few moments in the worship service and the result is that our worship often lacks the power it could have. This is why the simple practice known as the “Call to Worship” is so important. While it would be good if all participants came to worship after spending some time alone preparing their hearts for the encounter, we cannot assume that everyone will do this. In addition, if we want our worship to draw us into a meaningful, transforming encounter with God, we need to ensure that we are focused on meaningful practices from the first moment of the service.

So – for those of us who lead worship - instead of beginning worship with jokes, notices and unstructured greetings, it may be better if we create a moment which invites people into the journey right from the start. This could be a song, a prayer, a poem, a video clip, or anything that meets people where they are and helps them to connect with the theme and the activities of the service.

For those of us who simply attend worship, we can be more intentional about how we enter. We can take a few moments before we leave for church preparing our hearts and praying for the worship, thinking of all who will be gathering with us in the sanctuary, and asking God to touch us. Then, as we travel to worship, we can give ourselves time to travel slowly and mindfully, perhaps listening to worship music or keeping silence in our vehicles or as we walk. Finally, we can enter the sanctuary with reverence, greeting friends and companion worshipers, and then, as the service starts, making the choice to be attentive to the words and actions that we are invited to share.

If we can make a regular practice of having a true “call to worship”, we will be amazed and inspired by the way our worship is deepened and enriched, and we will find that the power of our worship to change us becomes even greater.

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John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.

Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.

The Gift of Gathering

After a long hiatus I have finally returned to the gym – or health club, as I believe it is now known. I am grateful to be getting my body back into some sort of shape, and for the time to get out of my head for a while each day. One thing that has struck me about the health club experience, though, is how very individualistic it all is. There are always lots of people around when I go there, but each person is doing pretty much their own thing – often listening to their own personal soundtrack on an Mp3 Player. This is appropriate behaviour in a health club, after all. We all have different fitness needs, and we don’t really need too much interaction to get our bodies strong and healthy.

But, for a spiritual journey this individualistic behaviour is not appropriate – although the way we “do” worship or church or spirituality in general may not show that we know this. All too often our churches are nothing more than congregations, rather than communities. All too often we slip into a pew, sing as softly as we can without looking out of place, bow our heads at the right time and then slip out again as quickly as we can when it’s all over. Unfortunately, what brings great benefit in a health club brings the opposite in the spiritual life.

In spite of the popular views of spirituality that make it about selecting your own particular preferences and following your own way along your own particular spiritual path, all the time-honoured spiritual teachers and traditions indicate that spirituality must lead us into relationships with others. On our own we never have to face the things about ourselves that we don’t like. On our own we may never realise the habits and ways of being that hurt others or put people off. But, it doesn’t take too long in true community to find ourselves getting frustrated, or to be faced with someone whom we have offended, and be forced to work it out. That’s why in one form or another, love is the primary commandment of all religions. We cannot grow as people, or in our relationship with God, without other people and without working out how to interact with, respect and give dignity to others.

And this is one reason that Christian worship always begins with the act of gathering. It is important, for our own spiritual health and that of our companions, that we make the effort to get up, make ourselves presentable, and trek off to some place where we will meet together. It is important that we greet one another and consciously recognise the other people who share the worship space with us. While the introvert in me loves the idea of a quiet sanctuary where I can slip in, close my eyes and pray as I wait for the service to start, I have had to learn that this is not how worship was done in the Scriptures, or even in the history of the Church. While there is a place for quiet preparation, much of that can and should be done alone, at home, before moving toward the gathering. Once we arrive at the church, though, we need the call of community to touch us and engage us if we are to truly experience the worship our souls need.

So, next time you go to church, won’t you go with the conscious intention of gathering – reach out to your companion worshipers, and, if you don’t know them, introduce yourself. Let’s gather on purpose as people who share a longing for God, and who can help each other along the way.

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John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.

Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.

Faith passed down

I was talking to my children the other day and made reference to McGyver, the “fix-anything-with-nothing” television character from the 80s. They looked at me with blank faces and asked, “Who’s McGyver?” I was reminded of how easily the stories and ideas of one generation fade and are replaced by new ones for new generations.

Unfortunately, this seems to happen way too easily in the realm of faith as well. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that faith - both personally and in community - grows and develops over time, and so I am not opposed to new expressions of faith or new ways of thinking through issues and ideas. I believe that new movements in faith like the Pentecostal and Charismatic revivals of a few decades ago, and the Emerging Church movement of today, give us valuable and important gifts for the development of our faith.

But, I also believe in the faith that is passed down. I believe that all new expressions of faith need to be rooted in the ancient community of believers, and in the lessons that are taught by its history. I am reminded of Paul’s words to the young pastor Timothy when he described Timothy’s faith:

“I'm reminded of how sincere your faith is. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I'm convinced that it also lives in you.”

Timothy’s faith was not a completely new thing, unrelated to those who had come before him. On the contrary, Timothy had a faith that was passed down - rooted in the faith of his elders. As fashionable as everything to do with youth may be in our world today, our faith is shallow and poor if we ignore the stories and memories of our elders. And those among us who are advanced in years, have a responsibility to pass our faith down - through our example, our story-telling and our mentoring. This does not mean that youth has nothing to offer - it certainly does, and I will explore the gifts of youth in a future article. But it does mean that we must be careful to preserve the treasures of our past as well.

When worship is practiced thoughtfully and faithfully, it gives us a connection to this faith-history. Our ancient hymns, well-used liturgies, historic symbols and age-old rituals all open doors to the wisdom of our mothers and fathers in faith. Yes, these traditional worship elements can be “packaged” or expressed in fresh new ways, with new instruments and new technologies, but let’s never make the mistake of abandoning them. As the old saying goes: “Those who fail to learn the lessons of history, are doomed to repeat them.”

So, who are the mothers and fathers of your faith community? How can you value their stories and memories better? How can you enable them to pass their faith down to new generations? What are the ancient practices of your church? How can you honour and preserve them? What “packaging” can you given them to make them more attractive to the young people who need to learn their lessons? And when the time comes, how can you pass your faith on to others, so that they too can enjoy the benefits of a faith passed down?

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John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.

Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.

Worship for the long haul

It’s an instant world we live in. If our needs aren’t met immediately we get frustrated. Longevity has lost it’s attraction. We upgrade our cell phones every two years wishing it was sooner. We measure companies quarterly, and we choose our activities by the instant rush we hope to receive. It’s an instant world, which has given us so many benefits, but there’s a sting in the tail.

In the realm of spirituality, ‘instant’ doesn’t cut it. If we want a deep and fulfilling relationship with God, if we long to grow into the people we are meant to be, if we hope to make a positive difference in the world, this is going to take time and commitment. In spite of the promises in the books on the self-help shelves, no one becomes whole, healthy and spiritually strong overnight. And when I read a review of a book that promises to teach its readers to meditate like a Buddhist monk in just 30 days, I can’t resist the sorrow that floods me. I weep for those who sell themselves short by treating their most authentic selves, and their connection with the creator, like something you buy at a fast food outlet.

Unfortunately the culture of the instant has infiltrated our churches. While I love contemporary worship music, I worry when the music becomes the focus of our efforts. I love technology and I believe in using it in worship, but I know how seductive it can be, and how it can divert us into instant gratification, rather than the long, slow road of spiritual development. When we measure our worship by the goose bumps we feel, or by how well the band mimicked the latest worship CD, or by how dramatic the video production was, we have missed the point. We may feel an instant reward, but our souls have suffered the malnourishment of spiritual fast food.

At the start of a New Year we have a wonderful opportunity. We can make a commitment to long haul spirituality. Instead of measuring our worship by the weekly experience, let’s commit ourselves to waiting until the end of the year. And then, let’s judge our worship by how we have changed - by how we have become a little more like Jesus in his love for God and the world. Each week as we come to worship, let’s open ourselves, not to the instant gratification of a thrilling experience, but to the slow nurturing of a weekly discipline that will, sometimes, be thrilling, but, sometimes challenging, and sometimes just quiet and ordinary.

At the start of the New Year is a good time to reaffirm two profound truths about our worship. First, worship is not about what we do in church, but about how what we do in church changes the way we live when we’re not in church. Second, worship is not a weekly “fix” to uplift us and carry us through the week until our next “fix”. It is a discipline that we embrace with commitment and faithfulness, so that, through repeated practice over time, we are changed so that the world is better off for our presence.

Now that’s a resolution worth making.

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John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.

Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.