Staunch but Starched

I met one of the homeschooling mothers in our neighborhood today. Their family has been here for several months, has tried many churches, but has been unable to decide on one. Her complaint against the Presbyterians is that the worship lacked emotion. I agree with her.

This is a common weakness of many churches and, as hard as it is to admit, we could learn a thing or two from the Charismatics. But I wonder if the emotion on display in many churches is rightly placed. I mean, are people delighting in God, or just enjoying the lead guitar?

Given our contemporary culture, emotion is the wrong "litmus test" for good worship. If you really must have a litmus test how about reverence and awe (Heb 12:28)? Pastor Rayburn, in this lecture, made many convincing points about the importance of proper worship. He covered a wide range of topics, but just his comments on dressing up for worship was worth listening to the lecture.

If you would go to a job interview in shorts and a tee-shirt; fine, come to worship that way. But if you'd dress up for a job interview but not for worship, it's clear which activity you don't take seriously. At a wedding when the doors open and the bride looks down the aisle, she doesn't want to see her husband-to-be in flip-flops and a Hawaiian shirt. That would show a lack of respect on his part. The same is true in worship.