My LEAST Favourite Phrase In Corporate Worship.

In my experience, I've found that the best times of corporate worship I've ever had has rested on what the leader says as a "call to worship". A call to worship should draw the heart to focus on God and, to instill a truth into our heart which causes us to enter into praise of our creator.


I wonder have you ever heard this as a call to worship....
"I wonder how you would describe your week this week. Maybe you've had a bad week. Perhaps you have financial worries, relationship worries, family problems or a real burden of sin. Well we've come today to worship God so forget about your problems and just worship Him. Praise like you mean it"


There is a massive problem with this phrase. Telling people to forget about their problems of the week defeats the object of worship. It gives the impression that we cannot worship God whilst thinking of our problems. In fact, making ourselves temporarily forget about our problems means that we detach ourselves from reality whilst publicly worshipping God. Surely this doesn't add up? 


Hebrews 4:15 says "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" If we draw this to its proper conclusion it means that Jesus, Our High Priest, knows exactly what we are going through. There is no problem which He cannot sympathise with. Having problems does not decrease our act of worship but rather enhances it all the more. When we realise that God loves to hear the prayers, petitions and problems of His people, we should be lost in awe and wonder that the God who holds the whole universe in its place is bothered and concerned for us. 

Don't hear what I'm not saying. This doesn't mean worship should be all about us and our problems. It does however mean that we can come to God through our problems knowing that He meets us right where we are. There is no need to put on a face or pretend because God knows and He cares. So perhaps that opening call to worship should read something like this....
"I wonder how you would describe your week this week. Maybe you've had a bad week. Perhaps you have financial worries, relationship worries, family problems or a real burden of your own sin. Perhaps you're coming in from a week full of joy and an overwhelming sense of Gods love and mercy. Well we've come today to worship God, together. This means that even through our problems, we can worship God. Depend on Him and press into Him today. Lay your Joys and your sorrows at His feet because He cares for you. Even though you may have problems praise Him because He is always worthy and if you are found in Him then you can rejoice because your problems are temporary, but your status as a child of the Risen King is permanent."


The next verse in Hebrews says "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." We can always come confidently to our King because of His great, never ending, never failing love. Praise Him.