The Pain of the Mundane

I have recently been wondering about life, relationships, and family. Without going into much detail, many close friends in my life have been struggling with their faith and their marriage. Some say that they can’t quite pinpoint what the problem is, and others feel as though they know exactly what they problem is, but they just don’t know how to fix it. Why is it that our relationships begin to crumble? Why is it that struggling with these relationships and struggling in our relationship with God, typically go hand-in-hand?

I wonder if we haven’t created this problem out of our mundane routines and habits. Let me explain. Before you read the next sentence, let us just agree that there are always exceptions, but generally, this is too true. I believe that if you walked into most any Church of Christ in the country on any given Sunday, you would experience pretty much the exact same order of worship. If you are a member of the Church of Christ, you know what I mean…Welcome; Songs; Communion; Songs; Sermon; Invitation. The format is completely predictable. I wonder, though, if it is so predictable that it has actually become detrimental to our spiritual vitality.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “I have driven this road day in and day out for the last _____ (you insert the number) years, I could drive it with my eyes closed.” Or maybe you have heard this one, “I have done ________ (you insert the task) so many times, I could do it in my sleep.” Routines and habits can be helpful in some cases, but I am beginning to seriously question if they are not actually more harmful. I experience the same worship format week in and week out. I look around at all of the faces and I see zombie-like expressions. By the facial expressions, or lack thereof, I see people that are there because they feel that they have to be, or know that they need to be, but they are certainly not engaged. I look out while we are worshipping, and I notice that only about 30-40% of the congregation is actually participating. That means 60-70% of our people are not even engaged in the worship. Have we done church the same way for so long that we have arrived at the point where we can “do it in our sleep” or “with our eyes closed?”

Sadly, I believe that is exactly what is happening. I am afraid that many of us have lost our spiritual fervor for God. I fear that worship has become mundane and boring for many in our fellowship. I believe that it has become so predictable and unexciting that we literally sleep through worship. Time and time again I hear people who are not engaged in worship admit that they are not reading their Bibles or praying to God on a regular basis. If they are not growing with God on their own, and they are not growing with God through worship, when and how are they growing at all? And, if they are not growing in their relationship with God, how do they expect to grow in any other relationship in their lives, marital or cordial? The moment we begin to struggle in our relationship with God, that is the moment Satan steps in and takes the opportunity to break down other aspects of our lives; jobs, finances, and of course, marital relationships. The more pieces he can destroy, the more doubt he creates in our hearts and minds about God, and he in turn expands his power in this world. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

I wish we could “liven” up worship. I wish we could “shake” things up. However, when a worship leader finally gets the courage to “change” things up a bit, he usually gets his feet held to the fire. People typically don’t like things that make them feel uncomfortable. And we usually keep the uncomfortable ones “happy” because they are usually the loudest. I wonder though…

What if we started worship by taking the fellowship meal together?
Although we like to act like it is, the Lord’s Supper is not a funeral. Jesus asked his disciples to practice it in remembrance of him. In remembrance of what, exactly? Just his death! Maybe that too is part of our problem. We take it every week, focusing only on his death. We need to be reminded, I guess, that three days later he rose from that grave. He is alive! We eat and drink in honor of the “good news”; the death, burial, AND the resurrection. Wouldn’t it be great if we started one Sunday with the Communion, and didn’t tell anyone? That might surely shake things out of the mundane.

What if we started the worship service one Sunday with the sermon?
There is a slight possibility that if we were reminded about the grace of God, how much he loves us, and the extent to which he proved that love, it might actually improve the quality of the worship if it followed the sermon. Also, what if someone in the crowd heard the sermon, responded in baptism, and then was able to share in the Communion feast with the entire congregation? That too might also serve to “liven” up the worship that would follow as the whole church worships God in “celebration” of a redeemed brother and/or sister in Christ. The congregation as a whole might develop a whole new appreciation for worship, and a new love and respect for God.

At the risk of sounding overly critical…What we have been doing doesn’t seem to be significantly or spiritually forming. If that is true, then why are we so afraid to try something different? Meanwhile, we sit and wallow in our reluctance and watch our friends and families crumble around us because they know God, but do not truly love him.