Stepping on the Scale Sunday Morning

I lost two pounds this week. I stepped on the scale this morning and it flashed back those wonderful numbers that reflected a lower weight. However I’d be foolish to think that I lost the weight when I stepped on the scale. The scale only reflects my choices and actions throughout the week. I’m training for the Whisky Row 10K which means I’m running a couple of miles a day and eating a lot healthier than I was a couple of months ago. It’s in these actions that the weight comes off; the scale is only a mirror of my lifestyle.

In very much the same way I think that Sunday morning worship is the scale that reflects back at you the choices you’ve already made about worshiping God. The New Testament seems to be clear in declaring that worship is not about an action but an attitude or life style. Worship wars are not something new to our generation and even Jesus Himself couldn’t avoid the debate. In John 4 Jesus is talking with the Samaritan woman at the well about styles of worship. I think it’s interesting that instead of facing the conviction of sin in her life, she changes the conversation to worship style (but that’s a discussion for another blog). However, the crux of Jesus’ response is that worship for a Christian is going to be done in the spirit and in truth. This was an idea that rocked the current worldview. Jesus was throwing out centuries of tradition and said the new definition of worship was going to be about a life lived in truth. Paul picks this truth up and summarizes it this way: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

So is this how we look at worship today? Sadly, the answer most of the time is ‘no.’ For the most part when we talk about worship we are thinking about the music portion of our church services. Why is this? Is it because we have a “worship pastor” whose job is to take care of Sunday morning singing? Is it because we have “worship CDs” that includes the songs we sing during our “worship services?” I don’t think these hold the answer. I think the answer lies closer to the example I used of the scale. When talking about weight we look to the scale. Why? Because the scale is the device that reflects back to us the actions of our lives. Just like a love poem reflects the reality of our heart, our “worship time” in church reflects the reality of worship in our life.

So take a minute with me and take a look at your scale Sunday morning. What is your “worship time” telling you about the rest of your life? I’d like to propose to you that if you find yourself apathetic and disengaged on Sunday morning the scale is reflecting back at you a truth that is deeper than ‘not connecting to the music style.’ Could it be this apathy and disconnect is reflecting back an overall life of apathy and disconnect with God? What if your Sunday morning worship is a time of discomfort because your desires or styles aren’t being met? It might be reflecting a life that is about me and my needs, instead of being a “living sacrifice.” What if it’s a time of judgment and cynicism? What if it’s a time of passion and love? What does the scale of Sunday morning reflect about your life?

A Secondary Thought:

I had a friend growing up who always blamed the equipment. Anytime he started losing in any competition he started blaming the equipment and quit. He needed better golf clubs, his soccer shoes were worn out, the basketball was too flat, his game controller was sticky, and on and on. But the truth was, he didn’t want to look inside or push past the complication. He always saw the problem outside himself and in the end he never improved or grew. Is my “Sunday Scale” a fail proof test? No!!! But before you start placing blame on the band, the style, the music pastor or the song selection, look inside first. I can step on the three different scales in my house and get three different responses (which I sometimes do to get the number I want) this tells me that at least two of my scales are ‘off.’ But even though my scales are not 100% perfect they still reflect back the truth, and in the long run they will all tell me whether I’m improving or getting worse. Is our Sunday scale 100% accurate? Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t reflect truth back into your life

My Prayer:

Lord, when I step on the scale on Sunday morning I want it to reflect a life of worship for you. Let it not be about me, my needs or desires. Let my worship reflecting sacrifice, love, hope and faith. And when I notice unhealthy or sinful attitudes in my worship let me repent and align myself with you once more.