The WOW Factor

The clock is ticking & we're playing it safe.

I love the Ekklesia, I really do. 

I love it when the Ekklesia gets together, formally or informally.

I'll be honest though: 

I sometimes tire of “church”.

A good portion of my life consists of a lot of interaction w/ ministers: worship leaders/musicians, children's/youth ministers, teachers, evangelists, pastors, the whole gambit & when I talk to them about their services (structure & format) the mindsets are all the same: What's wrong w/ it? Why would we even change?

I commented once on a worship forum where the question was simply as to where most people have the music in their services or where it should be. My response was it's usually at the beginning but be open to having it anywhere in the service that the Spirit leads. A woman came unglued at that, “You HAVE to have it at the beginning!”. I asked her “what if” the Spirit leads another way/time for worship in the service? “He would NEVER do that! It HAS to be at the beginning to set the atmosphere & prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Word from the pastor!” Listen to that statement: you HAVE to... it HAS to be... in other words, it doesn't matter what the Spirit thinks or even if you want to shake things up, tradition is more important.

Some people, just like this sister in the Lord, come unglued when there's any deviation in the structure/format. If they get too dogmatic or combative about worship ministry, I simply refer them to the ministry model of Jesus & the worship team that opened for Him; that usually shuts them down...

Yes, I'm well aware there was no worship ministry that “set the atmosphere” or prepared the hearts of the people to receive the Word Jesus brought. Yet, many people are so adamant about the church service/format, where the music goes, how the service goes/flows, that it too becomes the object of worship & reverence.

Just try suggesting an all-word service & the worship people go nuts, “we're commanded to sing God's praises!”; every Sunday? Every time we gather?

Try suggesting an all-worship service w/ no message & it's a little better received, but there are some who cry, “Jesus said feed My sheep! How are the people going to get fed?” The people can't go one week w/o hearing a sermon? Haven't they been taught to feed themselves during the week?

Mindsets.

Traditions.

The WOW Factor.

In keeping the WOW (Worship, Offering, Word) factor 

perhaps we've lost the “WOW!” factor; 

perhaps we've lost the freshness & spontaneity. 

Sometimes it seems like “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” 

has been sacrificed on the altar of “decently & in order”.

The clock is still ticking & for the most part, we're still playing it safe...

Any thoughts or comments?