Is worship based on...

On praise and prayer

In today's church, especially among the youth, we place a Huge value on praise.  Youth today love to sing, and we flock to new worship leaders like Chris Tomlin and Michael Gungor.  We treat worship time as one of the most important parts of our faith.  This is a great thing!  We were created to worship our King with everything we have.  I love seeing my friends go all-out worshiping God, and love it even more when I get to join in with them.
For the past seven years or so, I have served as lighting director at various ministries.  I have used lighting kits that cost millions of dollars, and been to events centered around creating newer, more exciting, more entertaining worship displays.  Again, this in itself is not wrong.  But this summer, as I worked at the camp, I began to question my priorities.  I had the opportunity to serve at the children's ministry at a local church one Sunday, and I expected to go and see what I was used to from a children's ministry.  It had been advertised as a fun, engaging way of doing children's church.  I expected to go in, sing a few songs, talk with the kids, and hear a bible story from the staff.  This is what we all grew up with right? Juice boxes, animal crackers, and the flannel graph defined my personal children's church experience.  So I walked in and the first thing I noticed was that the kids were totally zoned in on the tv screen playing sports bloopers.  Given that this was before the service had technically started, I was totally ok with this.  It was a good way to get the kids to sit down and be calm while we were waiting to start.  But then the service started.  This was a service catering to first-through-fifth graders.  Lights started flashing, videos went up on the screen, and it was on.  The service lasted for an hour or so, and the message was on one of the beattitudes, "blessed are the peacemakers...".  Again, pretty cool right? A chance to use technology to bring these kids in on what God is doing.  But I watched as they used several videos and such, and failed to mention scripture once outside of the original verse.  They didn't talk about Jesus, they told the kids that this meant nothing more than "no fighting".  Qthe end of the service came and I asked several kids what they had learned.  None of them could tell me.  But they could tell me whether they liked the flashing lights, videos, or skits better! (the videos were the clear winner).
Now to be clear, this is not an anti-technology rant.  I love using tech in church.  Nothing is more fun than getting a rockin worship service going and seeing my friends go for it (as I mentioned at the beginning).  But this experience at this children's ministry gave me a check in my spirit.  I began to realize that my priorities were off kilter.  I had given too much weight to the style of worship, whether the lights were well run, and whether the singers had any real talent.  In the midst of this, I had lost sight of the real purpose of worship and church in general.  Just like those kids couldn't tell me anything about what was taught in the service, but could tell me everything about the service, I couldn't tell you the last time i had truly connected with God in worship but I can name the top 3 worship events I have been to (Passion 2011, Passion 2010, hillsong united A Cross//The Earth tour).  I had spent tons of time going for it in "worship", spurred on by flashing lights, super talented leaders, and a big crowd.  But I had missed out on the One we were there for.
  If I cannot say that I am connected and focused on God when I sing, is it truly worship?  Can I say I am entering his courts with praise, as it says in Psalm 100, if I am more concerned with how well the show goes?
So my challenge to you this year is this:  whether you go to Passion City Church, North Point, Wesley Foundation, or a tiny church with a choir and hymns, don't get so caught up in the "worship" experience that you forget who you are worshipping.  Make sure Christ is at the center of your adoration, and that He is at the root of your joy.