Who Is Worship For?

Dwight Friesen is a part of the "emerging church" movement, and these are his comments about churches in the Seattle area when he moved there: "We also visited fifty churches in the first year. The most discouraging aspect was that they were all the same…. The music was pop. The sermons were pop psychology…. It felt plastic. At no point in the service did my presence matter. I felt it wouldn't make a difference whether I was there or not" (Emerging Churches by Gibbs and Bolger 270). Sounds like someone set himself up as a judge, doesn't it? So, what is he saying?

First, no one knows how accurate his assessment is concerning the fifty churches. Were they really all the same? He must not have visited any of the churches of Christ because he would have heard a cappella singing of hymns rather than pop music. Presumably he would have heard a Biblical message rather than pop psychology. Actually, the two items he protested are evidently what many people prefer, or one would not find it in such abundance. How many really want a Biblical message—especially one that calls on them to repent of their sins? Many today want to stay in their sins and be told that God approves of them in that condition. In fact, like Friesen, many have made themselves the ultimate judge of spiritual matters. "If someone is preaching what I want to hear, I might return and even become a member, but I don't want to hear about laws, rules, or right and wrong."

But consider his second point. "My presence didn't matter." Well, of course, God is interested in every human being, but having used up the amount of compassion required in such situations, our response is, "Tough cookies!" Is it possible that when Jesus taught 5,000 people on the mount that someone walked away, saying, "If I hadn't been here, it wouldn't have made any difference"? Maybe people weren't so self-absorbed back then, but the only person whose absence would have made a huge difference was Jesus'.

And to all the people who think the way Friesen does, we add further: "Why do you assume that worship is about you? Have you not read John 4:23? It teaches that 'the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.' First, please notice that there is false worship and true worship; second, worship is directed to God—not to you. You may well benefit from the worship (the Lord's Supper, the prayers, the singing, the giving, the Biblical message), but it is still directed to God and can only be pleasing when offered up to Him as He commands. Your participation in offering acceptable worship to the Almighty should be your primary goal."