Why Is That?

Last Sunday on my way home from church, I was pondering the question I posed last week. “Why is that?” Why are we not more excited about worship? Why are we not excited enough to invite our family, friends and neighbors?

Back in January I received an email message in response to a blog entry. This former parishioner said, “I think a topic for discussion might be getting EXCITED over the many possibilities for the church.” I agree.

Growing up, ours was a three generation household. During my high school years, we were members of a mission congregation in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. We were in church every Sunday. Yes, that had been the pattern in our family for a long time. But, during these critical years, while my brother and I were teens, we were all really excited about being a part of this congregation.

There are at least two reasons for this excitement. My parents, my grandmother, my brother and I continued to worship each and every week because we knew that if we were not there we would miss something important. Thinking back, the worship we experienced was both innovative and traditional. Today we might call it blended worship. We sang old hymns and new songs. We experimented with some different liturgies. Visual arts were used. We were subjected to some guest preachers with differing viewpoints. We also had a terrific pastor. We did not want to miss a single week, especially knowing that worship in our congregation would be a topic of discussion, even at school on Monday morning.

The second reason we were excited about being members of this congregation was that each of us knew we were individually important to the ministry of the church. I am so fortunate. As a 16 year old, I knew that I mattered to the mission of the church of Jesus Christ. My parents, my grandmother, my brother and I each had an important role to play, along with every other member.

Are you excited about your congregation? If you miss worship, will you be missing something important? Is worship a topic of discussion at your dinner table or at school on Monday? Does your congregation value the role of every member? Do you have an important role to play? Why should a newcomer be excited about your congregation?

Comments? http://niselca.blogspot.com/. --JC