I like the way Mike Riccardi approaches this issue. I’ve read a lot of the current discussion, puzzled a bit myself and asking why is there a necessity to establish an Eternal Functional Submission (EFS) of the Son to the Father to prop up complementarian roles of men and women in the family setting. I am quite comfortable acknowledging ‘equality’ of being/personhood and also the need for ‘roles’ in relationships.

Source: The Trinitarian Beat Goes On | The Cripplegate

For Baptist church history fans, here is a link to a couple of really good MP3s on the subject!

Sam Waldron – Reformed Baptist History in America | The Confessing Baptist

Source: Sam Waldron – Reformed Baptist History in America | The Confessing Baptist

Portrait Of William Tyndale Begins Crying Blood After Release Of \’Emoji Bible\’ | The Babylon Bee

Source: Portrait Of William Tyndale Begins Crying Blood After Release Of \’Emoji Bible\’ | The Babylon Bee

https://pilgrimsprogressrevisted.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/cloud-of-witnesses-cyril-lucaris-patriarch-of-constantinople/

. “In any logical presentation of doctrine, the wrath of God is the first truth we have to learn about him. Why didn’t Paul begin by saying that the love of God is revealed from heaven?…

Source: Quote of the day – James Montgomery Boice

If you have been noticing since last year’s Supreme Court decision concerning gay marriage, the LGBT community has proceeded to go from bad to worst.  Certain quarters of that movement have b…

Source: Video: Scripture and the LGBT agenda by Dr James White

That was the title of an article at Church Job Finder you can read here. Here’s the article:

What is it that really constitutes a great worship experience?

To me, the word “experience” doesn’t do justice to our gatherings.

When I think of experience, I think of my family’s recent trip to Disney World. Man, that was an experience. It was an experience lugging two toddlers around the enchanted streets. It was an experience buying a $10 turkey leg. It was quite the experience seeing the castle lit up at night with fireworks all around. It was memorable. It was fun. Was it life changing? Hardly.

I’ll remember Disney. It was a unique family memory. But nothing about that experience will prepare me to live for Jesus and speak of Jesus and magnify Jesus in a dark world.

And that is what I feel our worship “experiences” are truly for. We gather not to have a memorable experience. We gather to be changed.

Changed … by the living Word of God.

Changed … to be sent out and live for Jesus in our communities.

Changed … by giving praise to the One who is worthy of all adoration.

Worship Is Transformational

It’s more than an experience.

We don’t gather for information but transformation.

It’s not enough to be entertained by a band. It’s not enough to be inspired by a talented worship leader. It’s not enough to sing your favorite songs.

It’s not enough for worship services to be a form of escapism from reality. If anything, they should prepare us to love Jesus in the midst of life’s realities.

Think about this: Christ died …

“So that he might sanctify her [the church] having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:26-27).

Worship leader, as you lead, think about this verse. Labor to present your church to Christ, not to steal their affections for yourself. Labor to root their faith in more than a powerful, energizing experience.

We all know what happens when our faith is merely experiential, celebrity driven or a chasing of the latest fad: Faith falls away when life is shaken. I have numerous friends whose fire once burned bright for the glory of God. I remember the conversations about reaching the nations, giving it all, going for broke. But many of those people are no longer following Jesus. It was an experiential faith—faith based on experiences—a feeling.

Our worship, our preaching, our services need to go deeper.

We need to view our worship planning through the lens of transformation.

The Problem With “Experiences”

The problem with the “experience” focus is that we focus on inspiring people with our excellence. We have a desire to “wow” people with our talent and production. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, except that’s not enough to categorize something as “church.”

Does our production prepare people to truly live for Jesus?

If our worship services aren’t preparing people for the storms of life, what are they doing?

If they aren’t helping to anchor people to the Rock of Ages, what are they doing?

I understand the semantics of this. Most of us when we say “experience” refer to people having a life changing encounter with the Holy Spirit that will influence how they live for Jesus on Monday morning. I get that. But we can often stray far away from our ideals.

I simply want to offer a challenge in all our worship service planning.

Worship leaders, how can you lead people to Jesus and not just to an awe of your talents?

Preachers, how can you produce a congregation of people who learn how to feed themselves with God’s Word Monday through Saturday?

___________

I left a comment that might not make it out of moderation. The comment bean by saying that if we worship for the ‘experience’ we have already ‘missed the point’. I might have said something like ‘worship is about prostrating ourselves before Almighty God because he saved us from an eternity in Hell we richly deserve because of OUR sin, by sending His Son to die in our place and became a curse for us.’ I might have also said that we don’t worship to get ‘revved up’ for Jesus and that we don’t ‘produce’ worship, nor does our ‘production’ prepare us to live for Jesus, but the Holy Spirit living in us, causing to desire and to do what pleases Him, does prepare us.’ Something like that. I guess the article just ticked me off a bit….

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Willow Creek’s “The Practice” Blends New Age & Catholic Mysticism

Source: Willow Creek’s “The Practice” Blends New Age & Catholic Mysticism