Why Worship Matters

The thing most people do not know about ministers is just how ordinary we are. In my interaction with people, I get the impression that because I deal with the Holy, people think I have become otherworldly. I’m not, I promise. I have really, really bad days just like everyone else. And sometimes those bad days happen on Sunday.

It was an awkward day followed by a set of angry outbursts. A conflict that had been percolating underneath was finally surfaced. There was an angry confrontation. Harsh words were flung, and relationships were broken. That Saturday night, I went to bed angry, furious even. I awoke Sunday morning, and I frankly did not have it. It was one of those days where I knew being a minister would be hard. I told Molly before worship to pray for me. What I meant was I did not have the spiritual or emotional wherewithal to be a minister, and I needed help. Then worship happened. In the presence of God and with the presence of the people of God, something changed. I was brought toward wholeness in ways I could not have expected. Worship matters.

It was a different Sunday. I was up first and nearly ready. It was time to start waking up the girls. Molly met me in the kitchen holding Abbie. Abbie had wet through everything. It was a mess. I went to wake up Ainsley, and, well, she had made a terrible mess too. On top of the mess, she had pealed off the bandaids that were keeping her from picking at some sores on her little face. At some point in the night, she had made the sores bleed. Now two baths were required, more antibiotic cream and bandaids for Ainsley were needed, and our morning had been reduced to chaos. In the rush to get going, I managed to leave the juice cups I had prepared for Ainsley on the counter. Of course, I did not discover this fact until after I was at church. So, once Sunday School started I had to go home and get the juice. By the time of worship, I was harried. Once worship started, however, I experienced a peace that only comes in the presence of God. Worship matters.

I have come to believe something about the spiritual life. What we want the least, we often need the most. There are times we do not want to worship. Life crowds out our desire for contact with God. We are too angry, frustrated, anxious, and sometimes too bored for worship, or so we think. The act of worship, however, is good for us. It is good for us especially when life feels like it is too much. When we just need a break, when we need some peace, worship matters. So when you don’t feel like worship, worship all the more. Worship matters.

From the beginning, believers in Jesus Christ have treasured worship. When worship was illegal in Rome, they gathered in catecombs. Where worship is illegal now, they gather secretively in homes, graveyards, and landfills. Often at great danger and sacrifice, believers have prioritized worship in their lives. We worship because we know when we gather together we are giving focused attention to the presence of the risen Christ. Worship has the power to change our attitudes and our focus. It can bring healing and hope. Worship matters.