Reverence in Worship
One of my personal most embarrassing moments occurred at a worship service when I was in high school. I was a big Indiana University basketball fan and several of the members where I grew up were Purdue graduates. So, whenever IU and Purdue played we enjoyed teasing each other, depending upon the victor, about the results.
Well, after an IU victory I wore a tie to services with the school logo. This tie had a button inside the fabric which triggered a rousing version of the IU fight song. I did not plan to play the song. I just liked the tie. Unintentionally, I accidentally leaned against my tie, pressing the button, in the middle of the morning sermon. My mom gave me one of the scariest glances ever.
Everyone was staring at me, including my Dad—from the pulpit. There was nothing I could do. Once the song started, there was no shut-off button. So, the entire congregation listened to the instrumental version of an IU fight song that morning.
Sometimes accidents make humorous memories. But, they also can display a flippancy and lack of reverence for our worship before God. Poor behavior during a worship service can be a dangerous habit. As a preacher, I can easily see bad behavior out in the pews. I have the best place in the assembly to witness it. I see young people whisper, pass notes and play with babies. I see teens and adults text messaging and checking the news on their cell phones. I see the same kids getting up to use the bathroom and the same women heading back to the nursery to talk during the sermon regularly. I also see the people who stayed up all night Saturday falling asleep on Sundays. While these few make a minority, they can distract the majority. Their actions demand critical examination.
With this in mind, consider some questions. What do those types of actions say to the visitors sitting behind or across the pew from you? What does it say to the preacher who stands before you? Most importantly, what does it say to God as we come before His presence?
Psalm 89:7 says, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” Think about it.
October 2008