Responsive to God (xi)

FPC, Lowville, NY

This is the eleventh posting in a series working on what it means to be a church, based on eight criteria the Mars Hill Church uses to define its branch congregations as churches. The series began (here).  We are still working on the third criterion used by the Mars Hill Church to define its branch congregations as "churches," which is, "The church regularly gathers to hear God’s Word rightly preached and to respond in worshipful ways."

There's a final point I'd like to make, which is superficially "just" a wording issue with the third criterion.  As written, it seems to suggest that congregations are to respond to preaching in worshipful ways.  They regularly gather to listen to a sermon and then "respond in worshipful ways."  Worship, however, is something more than responding to a sermon worshipfully.  The focus is on, the response is to, and the worship is of God not the sermon or the preacher.  We are there on a Sunday morning because we feel or want to feel God's presence in our lives and experience that presence as grace.  And when worship is at its best all of its elements work together to help us worship God, not just the sermon.  Indeed, some come to worship for the music, some for the prayers, and some just to be with their church friends.  Preaching is important, but it is not the be all and end all of our praise.  Nor should it be.  Amen.