Worship Articles - 1

I have so enjoyed the time we have spent here. You have all been so wonderful and welcoming to me and my family as we have begun to grow accustomed to Corsicana. The meals, gift cards, gifts, and the pounding have all been greatly appreciated. I have also enjoyed visiting with so many of you during the week and on Sunday as well as during my visits to the nursing homes. I truly look forward to the many years we have together as we continue to grow in grace and offer Christ to others.

As the pastor of The Current and your new Associate Pastor here at Corsicana First, I want to take the time during these first few newsletters to discuss two areas that are important to me. In so doing I hope you will begin to get a flavor for my ministry as we grow together. The first focus will be worship and taken in part from an article written by Joe McKeever called “7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”. In later weeks we will look at being welcoming from an interesting perspective. Finally we will look at where I think the rubber meets the road
as a church within the Corsicana community – Local Missions.

For now let us focus on worship. In Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado, Max tells us that “The purpose of worship is to change the face of the worshiper. That is exactly what happened to Christ on the mountain. Jesus’ appearance was changed: ‘His face became bright like the sun’ Matt. 17:2)”. As we spend time over the next weeks looking at worship I hope that we will keep this in mind. Worship is not about us getting something out of the service, it is about us being changed into the likeness of Christ. So often I hear people say, “Oh, I don’t go to church any more, I just don’t get anything out of it.” As if to say that the goal of coming to worship is to get something as though we were going to the store for groceries.

So, if worship is not about getting our needs met then what is it about? Worship is about the Lord, plain and simple. We are to go to church to give, not to get. When we have set the expectation within ourselves and those we invite to “get” instead of “give” then we become disappointed and leave in frustration. We all need to remember that we are there to give, first and foremost. What we are to give is glory to God, because God is worthy of our worship and glory. How often do we recite in the prayers and creeds that “…thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory”? Or sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…”

Therefore, as we prepare our hearts and lives to receive the grace offered in Holy Communion this Sunday, may we prepare our hearts not to “get something” out of the service but to instead gather to give glory to God who is worthy of all our praise.
I’ll see you Sunday,
Jay