General Comments on Worship

1. A worship service means something and is important. Worship has the power to educate, inspire, and move people. It is not a business meeting, a lecture, or a seminar; it is an attempt to create sacred space and time.
2. Good worship is essential to nourish existing and attract new members of the community.
3. There are things that belong and do not belong in a worship service. I could use modern, sensitive language and say that not some things are "not appropriate" in a worship service; but let's say what I really mean: some things are good and some things are bad in a worship service.
4. We must strive to have all components of worship be excellent, every time. Doing less is a failure in our covenant with each other.
5. We expect consistent quality in other areas of our life.
   1. Suppose you are making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a child. You make it with care, trying to make it the way the child likes it. Every time. Is church less important than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
   2. Or when you go a potluck, each person brings food they think other people will enjoy. You understand that different people have different cooking skills and money to spend on their contribution; but we expect that they will put in some thought, time or resources. Is church less important than a potluck? How many bad potlucks would you go to before you gave up that group?
6. People come to church in spite of the service. I am not alone in this. We have been doing this for years. But if we believe what we did mattered, we would not allow it to be not good. We act as if getting along is more important than having it be good.

All this does not mean that every worship service has to be a peak experience. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is just a sandwich, after all. If you are starving, it can be life-sustaining. But other times it is simple comfort food.