Ordinary-100 Words

Ordinary.

Lately, I’ve been wrapping my mind around that word.

What I once accepted as ordinary is no longer enough for me.

Maybe it is an age-thing or maybe it’s a maturing-thing. Or, could it be what I’ve viewed as acceptable shouldn’t be accepted as the norm?

Do I have a specific area this applies to? Well, no. I’m thinking about work. And church. And music. And worship. I’m thinking about how I work with other people. And, how I relate to other people.

Nothing about life should be ordinary. Ordinary lends itself to becoming boring.

Who really wants boring?

Boring Worship--100 Words--Part 5

[Today, I conclude a mini-series on boring worship. When I began this series, I didn’t know how many blogs I would write on this subject. I think, for now, five is enough—oh no, don’t think that I believe I’ve covered it all. At this point, I’ll just put a semi-colon down and will come back to it again another day. Thanks for reading! As always, your comments are welcome.]

Boring worship.

Today’s Friday. But, Sunday’s coming.

Is that a good thing? Or something to dread?

With every fiber of my being I want to say that approaching Sunday with a good attitude is a great thing.

But, how often do we approach Sunday with dread? Be honest. Not excited about worship service? Afraid that this Sunday will be no different from last Sunday or the Sunday before that.

Oh God! I cry out to You.

May none of us approach Sunday with dread or despair!

May worship break out before Sunday begin.

May worship break out now. In me.

Boring Worship--100 Words--Part 4

[Today, I continue a mini-series on worship. Truthfully, I don't know how many blogs I will write about this subject. Maybe four, maybe more. I'll just let my heart and mind be my guide. As always, your comments are welcome.]

Boring worship.

Why am I struggling so much with this?

I’m not sure.

Maybe it’s age. Or, I want something better for my son than I’ve known.

But, it’s more than that. It’s about the audacity that believers have to limit the praise due God.

Lead worship in almost any church and go five minutes over the normal quitting time. See what happens. Watches beep. People close their Bible. A murmur begins. There’s an uncomfortable shuffling of feet and chairs.

Five minutes! We can’t worship for five more minutes? We can’t await the moving of the Spirit?

How dare us!

Boring Worship--100 Words--Part 3

[Today, I continue a mini-series on worship. Truthfully, I don't know how many blogs I will write about this subject. Maybe three, maybe more. I'll just let my heart and mind be my guide. As always, your comments are welcome.]

Boring worship.

Boring worship can be found in Baptist churches. Methodist churches. Non-denominational churches.

Boring worship can be found in new churches. Centuries old churches.

Boring worship can happen in churches where a lot of screaming and yelling takes place.

It can happen in churches where the liturgy wouldn’t allow screaming to take place.

Boring worship happens.

When you put lipstick on a pig, you have decorated pork chops and bacon. Nothing more.

I don’t care what clerical lipstick you put on worship, if it’s not about worshipping Jesus Christ as Savior, you have nothing more than a cheap show.

Boring Worship--100 Words--Part 2

[Today, I continue a mini-series on worship. Truthfully, I don't know how many blogs I will write about this subject. Maybe two, maybe more. I'll just let my heart and mind be my guide. As always, your comments are welcome.]

Boring worship.

Boring worship is not caused by a pipe organ rattling chandeliers and stained glass windows.

Nor is it caused by drums deafening everyone on the front row, or 20th row.

It is not caused by sermons being read by a pastor who never makes eye contact.

Nor it is caused by sermons carried by satellite to a distance campus site.

Boring worship is more of an attitude. Worshippers gathered to praise one another instead of the King of kings. It comes when the focus isn’t upon the appropriate Personhood of God.

Boring worship is caused by apathetic worshippers.

Boring Worship--100 Words--Part 1

[Today, I begin a mini-series on worship. Truthfully, I don't know how many blogs I will write about this subject. Maybe two, maybe more. I'll just let my heart and mind be my guide. As always, your comments are welcome.]

Boring worship.

That’s an oxymoron if I have ever heard one.

It shouldn’t exist.

It shouldn’t be accepted.

Not by ministers, nor church members.

In a Christian church, we often talk about the “gospel.” In simplest terms, the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ—His birth, life, death, resurrection.

When believers gather for worship, we gather in celebration of that gospel.

What can be boring about that? How can we make it boring?

Yet, somehow we do just that.

I’m not pointing fingers. I’m just exhausted with it.

I’m ready for a revolution in worship.

How about you?