In Spirit and Truth

Do you want your church's worship services to be "seeker sensitive"? Remember, the most important "seeker" is the Lord himself! According to Jesus, the Father seeks people who worship him "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23)—and for good reason. By worshiping "in spirit," we avoid the problem of empty ceremonialism, and by worshiping "in truth," we avoid the problem of false doctrine.

How can we come closer to God's intent when we worship together as a church family? Here are eight suggestions.

1. Be there! Merely going to church doesn't make you a Christian. As Corrie ten Boom said, "Just because the mouse is in the cookie jar, it doesn't make him a cookie!" But if God holds first place in your heart, shouldn't you give him the first day of every week?
2. Worship thoughtfully. Carefully process what you hear, say, and sing. The apostle Paul wrote, "I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind" (1 Corinthians 14:15).
3. Prepare ahead. Satan works overtime on Sunday morning to distract us. Read Scripture on Saturday night; listen to worshipful music as you dress for church on Sunday morning; ask God to speak to you through the preacher's message.
4. Help others worship. Avoid arriving late or leaving early. Simple acts of courtesy and respect help the church to do things "in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Corinthians 14:40).
5. Get out of your comfort zone. You're never too old to "sing to the Lord a new song" (Psalm 96:1).
6. Dress for the occasion. We shouldn't show special attention to people who come into the assembly wearing fine clothes, nor dishonor those who come more simply dressed (James 2:1–4). Clothing should be modest, decent, and proper, but the Lord's main concern is "good deeds, appropriate for women and men! who profess to worship God" (1 Timothy 2:8–10). How should you dress for church? Be clothed with Christ! Put on the whole armor of God! Be clothed "with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 6:13; Colossians 3:12). The goal isn't for people to say, "What a great outfit you're wearing," but "What a great God we serve!"
7. Approach God with reverence and awe. The same book of the Bible that invites us to come boldly before God's throne of grace also reminds us that "God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 4:16; 12:28, 29). Don't play with fire.
8. Make worship an everyday event. "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). You can't mistreat your spouse to the glory of God. You can't get drunk, cheat on your taxes, or tell a lie to the glory of God. But if your heart's desire is to honor the Lord, even everyday events become expressions of worship. Thank God for the sunrise while you drive to work. Write a Bible verse in your notebook so you think of him while you're in school. Hum a song of praise while you wash dishes. Then when you worship on the Lord's Day, praise will overflow from the cup God has been filling all week long.

As C. S. Lewis put it in Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer (HarBrace, 1973), "A good shoe is a shoe you don't notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes, or light, or print, or spelling. The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God."