In life, there are many different things that motivate us. Let's take, for example, me and my garage. It needs to be cleaned out a bit. There are quite a few boxes in there that could be stacked up better, and a few odds and ends that need to have some permanent places found for them. There are times when I am motivated to go out there and do something about it, but you probably would expect that my motivations differ from time to time.
For instance, last week we had some severe weather moving through. My motivation for cleaning the garage up was to get my car in there in case of bad weather. I wanted to protect my car. But there was another time, earlier in the week, where my wife had said she wanted me to work on it. So I went out there to take care of some boxes and bins, not so much because I wanted to, but because she wanted it done. And then, there have been times where I just wanted something to do, so I found myself in the garage. And yet, another time where I just got tired of having all those boxes sitting out there unorganized.
Different motivations for the same activity. And now, I want to pull this into the realm of our Christian worship times together (yes, a rather narrow focus, but it's where I want to start). Different people are motivated to be there when we worship together for different reasons. When I first became a pastor, I had this idea that everyone came together because we had the right theology, and that was the most important thing to them. I have since learned that not everyone attends a particular church merely because of the theology that is taught there. Some people come because it's the church of their childhood. Others attend because they like the particular structure or style, or it's what they are used to. Others attend because they like the person who is the pastor. Others attend because they have friends in the congregation that they like to see, and yet others see it as their duty to God. And still others come because of some of the programs that the church offers that happen to fit their particular stations and roles in life.
Of course, none of these are the sole motivation for gathering for worship. People are rarely that one-dimensional. I would suggest that we find ourselves attending our local gatherings for worship for a mixture of these and other reasons. Some of them are more "correct" than others. And yet, if we simply assume that someone is going to attend our congregation only because we have the correct theology, we're either going to be surprised to find that they don't necessarily think that way, or we're going to have a fairly small group that not only believes the right things about God, but gathers for the correct motivations as well.
Don't get me wrong. I would love for everyone to be motivated purely by the correct theology and the proper understanding of God and His grace. But I recognize that the motivation for gathering for worship will hardly ever be that cut and dried. But here's what I see that I can do. I can properly teach and preach about God. I can make sure that the words that I say, and the order of worship that is followed, is one that teaches accurately about God and His grace and will. I may not be able to change people's motivations, but I can make sure that they hear what God says loudly and clearly. Sure, a few of them may not like what that has to say, and others may embrace it wholeheartedly. But as I think about the things that I can do which pertain to people's motivation for worshiping together, I know that the only part of that which I have any control over is the words that I speak from God. And that is no small factor in how I approach my chosen career.
For instance, last week we had some severe weather moving through. My motivation for cleaning the garage up was to get my car in there in case of bad weather. I wanted to protect my car. But there was another time, earlier in the week, where my wife had said she wanted me to work on it. So I went out there to take care of some boxes and bins, not so much because I wanted to, but because she wanted it done. And then, there have been times where I just wanted something to do, so I found myself in the garage. And yet, another time where I just got tired of having all those boxes sitting out there unorganized.
Different motivations for the same activity. And now, I want to pull this into the realm of our Christian worship times together (yes, a rather narrow focus, but it's where I want to start). Different people are motivated to be there when we worship together for different reasons. When I first became a pastor, I had this idea that everyone came together because we had the right theology, and that was the most important thing to them. I have since learned that not everyone attends a particular church merely because of the theology that is taught there. Some people come because it's the church of their childhood. Others attend because they like the particular structure or style, or it's what they are used to. Others attend because they like the person who is the pastor. Others attend because they have friends in the congregation that they like to see, and yet others see it as their duty to God. And still others come because of some of the programs that the church offers that happen to fit their particular stations and roles in life.
Of course, none of these are the sole motivation for gathering for worship. People are rarely that one-dimensional. I would suggest that we find ourselves attending our local gatherings for worship for a mixture of these and other reasons. Some of them are more "correct" than others. And yet, if we simply assume that someone is going to attend our congregation only because we have the correct theology, we're either going to be surprised to find that they don't necessarily think that way, or we're going to have a fairly small group that not only believes the right things about God, but gathers for the correct motivations as well.
Don't get me wrong. I would love for everyone to be motivated purely by the correct theology and the proper understanding of God and His grace. But I recognize that the motivation for gathering for worship will hardly ever be that cut and dried. But here's what I see that I can do. I can properly teach and preach about God. I can make sure that the words that I say, and the order of worship that is followed, is one that teaches accurately about God and His grace and will. I may not be able to change people's motivations, but I can make sure that they hear what God says loudly and clearly. Sure, a few of them may not like what that has to say, and others may embrace it wholeheartedly. But as I think about the things that I can do which pertain to people's motivation for worshiping together, I know that the only part of that which I have any control over is the words that I speak from God. And that is no small factor in how I approach my chosen career.
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