Worship Isn't For Visitors

An obvious, oft-forgotten truth

File this under “Things that shouldn’t have to be said but somehow desperately need to be said:” the Sunday assembling of the saints isn’t for visitors.

It’s not an infomercial for the church or an evangelistic revival. It’s coming to the foot of the mountain, entering His gates with thanksgiving, gathering around the table for a weekly feast of remembrance and proclamation. It’s for Christians, and it’s for them to praise their God.

However, because of our businesslike approach, Sunday is basically the church’s entire pitch. We don’t have the evangelistic structure we should, so we have to swing for the fences with the limited chances we get. The producer/consumer split means we are putting on something for you, and we hope you like it enough to come back.

What are some ways in which worship becomes geared toward the visitor?

• We can start with the obvious—the choice of entertainment in the place of worship, trying to give the attendees a good time or an emotional high over honoring God. To our credit, this one is rare in the churches of Christ.

• The common line of thinking that makes the Sunday morning sermon a more generalized, uplifting message while saving the true meat of the Word for the Sunday night “die hards.”

• The general way things are said and done, or the deference to the visitor’s perspective that drives decision-making. In other words, assumed knowledge and insider lingo are largely done away with to keep everything at a beginner baseline. (Explaining what the Lord’s Supper is every week, for example.)

• The invitation, complete with 5 step plan of salvation. This is a practice nowhere found in Scripture and which was a relatively recent innovation, a product of American revivalism. The sermon’s purpose is to remind the saints of God’s blessings and commands, not convert the lost.

• Casual dress.

• “Greeting time.” Wouldn’t it be better to tell your members they’re expected to greet visitors seated near them as a natural Christian action rather than to interrupt the worship time to spotlight the visitor?

• Gimmicky tactics like “At the movies” sermon series or turning the stage into a set design or having the preacher dress up in costume to illustrate a theme.

• Open service of communion (but that’s a discussion we’re probably years away from having, I know).

As I’ve argued before, church is supposed to be “weird.” The outsider should feel a blessed discomfort as they realize they have stepped outside the world they’re used to and into a foreign one.

It is the difference that is the appeal. But if everything is geared toward them so they never feel out of place, they’ll never feel that appeal. Nobody wants to be part of an organization or movement that is desperate to have them. We want to be part of the ones that have a purpose far higher than us.

Why can’t we do both?

Why do we have to draw a distinction between visitor-friendly worship and God-elevating worship? Can’t we do both things at the same time?

Because that’s not how holiness works.

Israel didn’t get to walk up Sinai to take a relationship with God for a test drive. If you’re going to come near Him, you have to treat Him as holy. And if you won’t, we can’t bring Him down to you.

Jesus’ death brings us even nearer, but at the high cost of His life and through full denial of ourselves. We can’t cheapen man’s access.

The other difference is one of direction.

Is it “we’re lucky to have you?” or is it “You, like the rest of us, are privileged to be here?” It is no coincidence we have so many church customers and so few dedicated Christians in the age of “we’re lucky to have you” worship services. We are in the age of worship of self, and churches who worship self are the first to blame.

Reverence and awe should govern everything we do because we serve a holy God. It is always good to have unconverted visitors join us, but they need to see that reverence and awe are how we operate. God, and not man, is Who we gather to worship.

---

Speaking

I’m going to be much more limited with my schedule this year, so if you’re interested in having me out to talk about Church Reset, Christianity and Culture, or any other of my favorite topics, please email jack@focuspress.org