Worship Mythbusters is a series of posts or conversations and this is a reworked post from a couple years ago. I thought some new readers would love to engage in this conversation:

The myth of a painless offering of worship

If pain is also defined not just as punishment but “trouble, care, or effort taken to accomplish something” then how is our liturgy or worship to provide no effort, care, etc.?

Worship or my expression of worship is NOT…

• in three easy payments
• something I take but something I give
• about feeling good or pleasant all the time
• without cost in time, resources or skill
• all my favorite songs or music
• without using my brain or thoughts
• always convenient
• usually about my preferences
• something for me but from me

Anything else we can add to the list?

This was originally posted in May of 2008 and since I am at a conference, I thought sharing a favorite from the past would be due. This is part of a series of posts: here

MYTH: Worship leading is not performing.

This is a myth! What is better said is that worship leaders lead in the act of performing worship.

Many in our churches like to use the word “performance” and make it another projectile at the worship team. They enjoy the fact that they can say a worship leader should not be performing, but worshiping as he leads as if the two are mutually exclusive. It means that his preparation is devalued and the attempt at beauty and form are discouraged. Worship expression or liturgy to many is simply a means, not and end. Really, it is an act to be performed.

Read the rest of this entry »

Merry Christmas (or Bah Humbug if you feel grumpy)… I thought I would leak out the naughty list for those who attend Christmas Eve services this year. (Tongue in cheek guys).

• Suzie I-get-up-and-have-to-go-pee-three-times-during-the-service is getting 1 lbs. of coal
• Jimmy my-kid’s-screaming-is-not-heard-by-anyone-around-me is getting 1.7 lbs. of coal
• Bob I-can-save-seats-I-really-don’t-need-for-people-who-will-come-very-late gets 2.4 lbs. of coal
• Julie I-will-sing-as-loudly-out-of-tune-as-possible-to-get-noticed is getting 1 oz. of coal
• Julie’s Mom who smiles with pride and encourages the obnoxious singing gets .5 oz. of coal
• The kid who is thinking about burning the lady’s hair in the row in front of him with his candle–SANTA CAN SEE YOU KID!

Merry Christmas and hope to see you at our Christmas Eve worship tonight if you are in the Temecula-Murrieta Valley: Sunridge site OR Facebook Event link with info here!

Christmas is a good time to bring up the idea of sentimentality and its pull on us with any tradition. Christmas carols being sung in this season surely bring up warm feelings and many pictures of the past. However, how much value do we place on having our sentiment massaged over giving an offering in worship? Read the rest of this entry »