Though it is undeniably good for us, one danger of going to church every week is becoming numb to the whole experience. Once we stop asking why things are the way they are, we can easily lose sight of God's vision and mission to reunite Himself with His people. Why do we need to go to church? Why do we need worship leaders and pastors if God has given us everything we need to know in the Bible? What if God doesn't like music? It may seem like a silly question, but it's never really asked. If you've never thought about or questioned any part of your Sunday experience, that's okay. If you've never gone to church, that's also okay. Whatever your case may be, I hope my thoughts give you some fresh insight and perspective on why waking up early on Sunday's is worth it.
First and foremost, I'd like to say how thankful I am for a church that has provided me with a clear vision of God's intended purpose for the church. Southland Christian Church has been one of the biggest blessings I could ever encounter. Week after week since September 2017, they've let me do what I love while ceaselessly loving and encouraging me to keep pursuing Christ. How lucky am I?
During my first service on the vocal team at Southland, I was amazed at how carefully and prayerfully planned the process was. Every second of the service was executed in such a way that the Holy Spirit was allowed complete and total access to people's hearts. Each service contains at least one worship set and sometimes two, during which people are encouraged to stand and sing, even if singing isn't their forte (music pun). To answer my earlier question, God loves our music. In fact, He's the One who gifted us with the ability to use it for His glory in worship.
We see a special glimpse of what God calls us to do on Sunday mornings in Psalm 98:1-2, which states, "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations." Nothing is in the Bible by coincidence, and it's surely not a coincidence that God making his salvation known and singing are paired so closely together in this passage. Singing, when it's done the way God intended it, is an expression of human emotion for what He has done and what He is offering us on a daily basis. The goal of worship, at its very core, is to lead and help people experience the joy of being so known and loved by the God who gave up everything for them. Worship therefore has to be about God. How can you grasp God's love without it being the subject of your heart and mind? Worship unites hearts and minds, which are often distant from each other, so that we can feel and understand the reality of Gods' love for us.
Thoughts and feelings are innately enhanced and more fully communicated with song, and I believe that's why secular music exists too. Music in general is meant to express what words alone cannot. That's just how God made it, and boy am I grateful! The reason we sing at church is to authentically and wholeheartedly give to God what we simply can't through words. It's an overflow of human emotion! That hurt you feel about your friend's unkind words, that grief you're bearing because your family member passed away, that joy you're experiencing with the recent promotion at work - whatever you're feeling, music helps properly address it and surrender it to God. I've seen it happen. One of the most powerful spiritual experiences I've ever had wasn't even at church. One of my best friends since high school had just lost his grandfather right before he and I went to New York City to sing with the University of Kentucky Men's Chorus. He felt so many emotions at one time, and there wasn't really any consoling him. He just had to work it out. On the night of our performance at the Lincoln Center, he stepped up to sing his solo with boldness and purpose like I've never seen before. He sang his heart out, and it was contagious. He sang a message of hope and release, fighting back tears on every phrase. The Spirit was moving through him on every note, and honestly, I don't expect you to believe me. You just had to be there. Worship is prayer that takes on a different form, one in which people are addressing God as one body and one voice. Whether pain or joy, God wants to hear about it. God hears every voice singing, but He loves hearing everyone singing at once because it's a clear picture of what Heaven will be like. One day, per God's promise (we know how those usually turn out lol), there will be only one feeling, one emotion, and one song that we can pour out to God, and that is joy. In Revelation 21, God promises His people an eternal life of uninterrupted joy, and followers of Jesus can live in that assurance.
Finishing up, one can justify the need for church with corporate worship. Where two or three are gathered, God is surely there. We were originally created to worship God as one body, and God is working to restore that amongst His people. God is working in us and through us to unite Jesus and the church in a beautiful, everlasting marriage. Southland Christian Church isn't the only place people can experience God's love, don't get me wrong, but they do such a good job of getting out the way so people truly can have that experience. As a worship leader, my job is to hit the click and tracks button with my foot and then move out of the way so God can take control and give His people what they need. We all need different things, but one God can satisfy them all. In worship, with one voice, God knows what His people need. They need Jesus. We worship because we need Jesus. We worship because we have Jesus. We worship because Jesus is the proof that we are loved and cherished by the Creator of the universe. That truth makes us feel something special, and God wants us to share it with others. Joy is not a thing to be felt alone, so go to church, meet your family in Christ, and be challenged to experience more and more of God's goodness. This is why church is good. We go to church to get a picture of Heaven and be united with other believers and followers of Jesus.
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