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When it comes to corporate worship of the church, should Christians seek a worship experience or seek to offer worship? Should followers of Christ choose a worship style that suits them, or worship by divine biblical design? How much of our worship style is left to liberty and tradition? When considering the state of modern Christianity in America, these questions and many more come to mind. We seem to be even more confused now than in the past about whether an activity is expedient or an addition to the worship hour. Personal preference has overtaken God’s desire for simple, straight-forward worship as Jesus described in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jesus also said that God’s word is truth (John 17:17) and thus to worship in truth means to worship according to the commands and examples found in the Scriptures.
In an effort to appease our personal desires, worship services have now been divided into specialized events customized to our liking. We now have a choice of a traditional or contemporary style service. There are early or later service times to choose from. In some churches, the choice of an instrumental or a cappella music services are available. With streaming services now available, one can choose to worship at home instead of being in physical fellowship. If we don’t like the worship style or preacher at one congregation, we can easily move down the road and try another until we find a church that suits us. Perhaps it is time to strip away all the personal choices and get back to the basics of serving the Lord instead of serving ourselves. Let’s follow the simple examples found in the New Testament, giving humble worship to God with the utmost love and respect.
Jay Launius
Maud Church of Christ
Maud, TX