News Letter – March 2007
Dear Friends,
Last month I wrote about the importance of goals – knowing what we are aiming for. This is especially true of an organization (like a Church) in which there are lots of people all playing their part. If we are not clear about our goals, we could be like the couple on the tandem who struggled up to the top of a hill; and when they finally got there, one of them said “Gosh, that was hard work – I thought at one point we were going to roll back down again!” And the other rider said “ Yes I know – it’s a good job I kept the brakes on just in case!”
First of all, this month, let me suggest some goals in the important area of Worship. A Church is, first and foremost, a worshipping community – and one of our main goals should be to enable and encourage every person (whatever their age or spiritual maturity) to worship God with glad and thankful hearts. Now we need to remember one or two things about worship – chiefly we need to understand that worship is for God, not for us. The aim of worship is to give God pleasure – to offer him our praise, our thanks, our love, our time, our service, because it pleases him when we do…worship is not about having my needs met, or my tastes pandered to.
Next, we need to realize that worship is not just about music – although music can play an important part in worship. We all have our musical tastes and preferences – but God loves everything from Handel to Hip- Hop; and worship is for him, not us. He also loves lots of noise – and he loves silence: they both have a part to play. And worship is not just something we do for an hour on Sunday – real worship is the offering of our whole life to God – every moment, every day, every part of who I am.
Perhaps one goal this year should be to make worship a greater priority than it already is – after all, there is nothing more important in this life than loving God, and expressing our love in worship.
Another goal could be for all of us to give more of ourselves in worship. God does not look on the outward appearance (choice of hymns, version of Bible) – he looks on the heart. When he looks on yours, does he see you giving yourself to him in praise wholeheartedly?
And perhaps one final goal could be for each of us to encourage someone else in their worship each Sunday. Negative words and thoughts have no place; but God loves it when we urge each other on in our love for him.
Every Blessing, Stephen
