We all love powerful church services. But if we’re honest, some of us don’t have the luxury of experiencing them too often.
Maybe you serve at a small church that can’t afford a staff.
Maybe your pastor is young, inexperienced, and struggling.
Maybe you flat-out don’t like your worship leader.
To compile the frustration, you may have just returned from a Kari Jobe or Israel Houghton concert where you were transported to the third heaven on a cloud of worship awesomeness.
Or, you’re faced with the truth that your pastor can’t preach anything like the life-changing podcast you just devoured.
“Why can’t we have church services like this?,” you ask.
There is a lesson to be learned here. Church ministry is about so much more than excellence.
There’s Beauty Behind the Mess
Behind the struggling worship leader…
Behind the small church…
Behind the overworked, underpaid pastor…
Is a work of grace.
God is in the business of calling the ill-equipped, the misfits, the ones no one else would believe in. He loves to reveal His strength through those who know it’s not about their talent or their ability to whip a room into an emotional frenzy.
I’m thankful for talented leaders. But I’m also thankful for the unknown leaders – those who may never grace the cover of Charisma magazine.
They serve God’s people. They sacrifice week in and week out. They are heroes.
Instead of Criticizing, Do This
And there’s one thing I want you to do next time you’re tempted to complain about where you are and who is serving in your church.
Smile.
Thank God that broken, imperfect people are serving, leading, and growing.
Thank God that He is snatching lost people from darkness into light.
Thank God that worship is so much more than excellent music and killer performances.
You are a part of the family of God.
[Image via Smabs Sputzer]
Ken Rosentrater says
Thanks for this good jar of reality. Something’s wrong in Churchland these days, and you have identified at least part of it: self-centered buffet style religion. I want what I want.
Eric Dye says
Word.
David Santistevan says
Thanks, Ken. Let’s get rid of the buffets.
John Hughes says
I recently wrote about a subject similar to this. I feel that every church needs at least one good messy service. Where we aren’t allowing ourselves to get in the movement. Where we are weeping sobbing messes. Where our preconceived notions of how a service is supposed to go is cast aside and instead we follow only what God would have us do.
David Santistevan says
Good stuff, John. We need a reality check on what church is really all about.
Brandon says
Awesome!