photo #7619870

"The Essence of Worship"There's an old story about two friends talking over lunch about a mutual acquaintance touring in Spain. The first friend says, "Did you hear she was gored?" The other gasped in shock, then relaxed and said, "Oh, dear. I thought you said bored." It was supposed to be funny, but it keys off a very real expectation in modern life: “What could be worse than being bored?” Life is supposed to be exciting and fulfilling and pleasurable, and when nothing interests you, well, then you have landed in the dread desert of "boredom." Did you know that most languages don't have a word for boredom? The closest term linguists can find is "tired." People in other cultures wait in line for hours for buses or bread but consider it a fact of life. Only in fast-paced, fun-loving America is boredom a problem.Unfortunately, many churches are deathly afraid of worshippers being bored so they work desperately hard trying to create exciting, high-energy, mind-blowing services. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be sensational week after week? It's exhausting!Let's not succumb to that pressure. Worship is a thing of quietness, meditating on the majesty and transcendence of a holy God, restoring a sense of rightness and purity to one's soul, and a somber contemplation of the cross of Christ. We don't need fireworks and mad dances to do that. Just follow the advice of the Psalmist: "be still, and know that I am God." (46:10).