And yet, and yet…

If you’ve been present and active in a church, you’ve probably that experience that comes at the end of the service after the pastor has finished preaching and the choir or band is preparing to lead a last song. There is a quiet shuffling as dozens of people move to and fro in the worship room getting ready to lead one more time, to serve again as the worship service comes to a close.

I know the feeling on the other side of the curtain as one of those tasked with stewarding the worship of the church. Pretty much every week, I have to nonchalantly, swiftly, and quietly move to a different spot in the church to carry out some responsibility or another.

It’s actually a pretty thrilling feeling of having a place to go and a task to fulfill amid the actions of worship in the church. There’s also something special about getting to see the faces and postures of prayer in the faith family.

As I think about this movement in the quiet spaces of the church, I ask myself the question: “Why do we call this a worship service?” What is the serving that’s happening? I think in most of culture’s conceptions of a church service, it consists of coming to the church building, sitting down and standing up at the appropriate times, listening to someone speak, maybe being compelled to shake a hand, and then leaving. So what do we mean?

First and foremost, service is a reminder of the importance of Communion or Lord’s Supper. A worship service is the place where people are served in remembrance of what Christ did for us. I love the reminder that we see Jesus say in Luke 22:15-16, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” Even knowing what he was about to suffer, Jesus made it clear that he was glad of this time where he was able to serve his friends. When we remember the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for our sin through Communion, we have the opportunity to share in the fullness of his joy. So, serving Communion is the primary reason it’s called a worship service.

Beyond Communion, in a worship service we serve one another through singing truths about God. When we sing in church, we’re not just singing to God, but rather often we sing to one another about his goodness and grace.

The famous passage where Isaiah stands before the Lord and offers himself to be sent, we’re given a picture of the angels that circle around the throne of God constantly. Isaiah 6:3 tells us, “And one [angel] called to another and said, ‘Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’” The angels’ worship is not spoken to God but to one another. In worship, we serve one another by singing of God’s greatness.

Beyond Communion and Singing, the Word of God is read and taught. Whether by a pastor or a child’s Bible group teacher, the Word of God rolls forward to grow us toward maturity in Jesus. As Jesus reminds us in Matthew 4:4, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” When we teach the Word, we serve one another the spiritual bread that we need to survive.

Beyond, beyond, beyond, there are dozens and hundreds of people in the local church that serve on a weekly basis. They create the environment by which people can worship together, they greet and welcome those around them, they encourage, they pray, they prepare coffee, they give generously, they ensure A/C systems are on, they change diapers, they love. In the local church, we have the privilege of participating in Paul’s description of worship through service, “I appeal to you therefore brothers to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1).

And yet, here’s the crux of the matter. What if the reason that church attendance is declining is that we are not giving people an opportunity to serve? What if the worship service has become a worship viewing? Does it matter at all that a person is present, or do they just feel like a face in a crowd?

I’m fully convinced that the biggest reason the American church has stagnated is because we have chosen comfort and convenience over the fullness of service. We have made the discipline of our worship into a style, a status and a preference, and we slowly and subtly slide into a place where we feel entitled to be entertained. A church that thrives and grows and shines is a church that is committed to serving others more than themselves.

In the beauty of God’s design, real worship has never been about performance. It’s about presence. It’s about encouragement. It’s about challenge. It’s about prayer. It’s about real life change.

It’s about Jesus, not me.

So each week, when you hear them move in the quiet, be encouraged. Be challenged by the conviction that moves those feet, the compassion they bear for you. And begin asking yourself: “How can my experience of church become more about serving than consuming? Who can I bless by my service today, no matter how great or how small?” When we move in the quiet, things begin to change.

Signs and wonders y’all.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45