Giving All That We Are

¹⁵Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. -Hebrews 13:15


What is our purpose in coming to church each Sunday? What do you expect to get?  The fact is, we shouldn't come to worship expecting to receive at all. Worship is supposed to be about GIVING... GIVING our hearts, minds and souls to God.  GIVING thanks, praise and adoration to God... GIVING our sacrifice of praise.


And yet so many us are still hung up on receiving.  A popular phrase these days when folks are disappointed in a worship service is "I was not fed."  Eat at home.  Come to worship to give God all you have.  He "feeds" you six days a week.  Can we not give him an hour with no expectations?


Instead we look for worship to be entertaining.  We want great music.  We expect great preaching.  We want to be emotionally stimulated.  So churches compete.  They use all the magic formulas the church growth consultants advise.  They become banquet halls for those who are only looking to "be fed."


To be sure, there are those who are spiritually immature and still need to be fed, and that is what we, as his disciples, are called to do.  But once we have matured, it is time to bring our sacrifice of praise to the altar.  We should know it is not about the quality of the music or the preaching or some kind of "feeling" we get when we worship.  It is not about "me" at all.  It is about God alone.


Come to church not to get everything you can, but to give everything you are.  And then - in one of those great spiritual paradoxes - you will receive much more than you ever expected.


Lord God,
I am so sorry for the times I expect you to continue to give to me, even when it is my time to give back.  Help me to worship you in spirit and in truth.  Amen.


Joys:  fun time out with Richard last night; great Fall weather; Friday