January 6, 2020

Cultivating a Worshipping Community

1.   The difference between a worship experience and a worshipping community

Illustration of Movie Theater:  People can enter a movie theater with 200 other people and have an incredible experience that is deeply emotional, inspiring, exciting and significant… and not know anyone in the room when they leave that they didn’t know when they came in.  Many church services can be the same way providing a tremendous worship experience and yet NOT increasing community in those who attend.

God desires a worshipping community of interconnected, interdependent people.

WORSHIP EXPERIENCES

WORSHIPPING COMMUNITIES

Temporary (60-90 mins)

Eternal

Focus on leading worship

Focus on leading people

Expression

Formation

Individual

Relational

Controlled

Shepherded

About Worship

More than the Worship

Can be virtual

Must be IRL

Worship experiences don’t necessarily lead to worshipping communities but worshipping communities DO lead to worship experiences.

2.   We have been created in the image of an “US”.

A.      God is a community.

i.            Genesis 1 “Let us create man in our own image.

ii.           God is a diverse yet completely unified community

B.      We were created for relationship with GOD and others

1.       Genesis 2 “It is not good for man to be alone…”

2.       1 John 4:19-21 “We love because he first loved us.  Whoever claims to love God yet hates his brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.  And he has given this command: Anyone who loves God must Alison love their brother and sister.”

3.       Matthew 5:23-24. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

C.       Singing together is an expression of our relationship.  Ephesians 5:19-20 “… instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from you heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It is impossible to separate our relationships with others and our relationship with God

3.   Ways to cultivate a worshipping Community

A.      It starts with YOU! Invest in relationships.  Look at people, ask questions, LISTEN to answers, learn from them, pray WITH people rather than praying AT people or just praying FOR people.

B.      Think long-term.

i.            How can what we do this week last beyond the length of the service?

ii.            How can we do something in this hour that will improve their relationships with one another?

C.       Learn to be okay with messiness.

i.            Relationships are messy.  If there is no room for messiness in our worship gatherings than there is no room for people who don’t “have it all together.”  Remember – none of us have it all together!

ii.            If there isn’t room for messiness than people who have a unique skill or language can’t leverage it unless they are professional speakers or musicians.

iii.            If you avoid awkwardness and discomfort, you will never have to be humble, because you will only choose to do things that you know you can do well.

1.       Singing songs in different languages

2.       Letting people who are inexperienced have opportunity to grow in their abilities

D.      Find ways to get the focus OFF the stage.  Typically, we give the impression that anything that is officially a part of the worship service must happen on the stage (singing, prayer, announcements, testimonies, welcomes).

i.            Everyone is looking at/facing the stage.

ii.            Others are in their peripheral vision at best

iii.            People need to connect with God AND each other

1.       Greeting time

2.       Discussion – ask a specific question and have them turn and talk to one another about it.

E.       Think like a shepherd – don’t just pick what you like.  Think about what is meaningful to the people you lead.  Know your audience.

F.       Prepare like an arranger! Make room for others to bring what they have and to use their gifts.  Don’t do it all yourself.

i.            1 Chronicles 25:6-8. “⁶All these men were under the supervision of their father for the music in the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.  Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.  ⁷Along with their relatives – all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord – they numbered 288.  ⁸ young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for the duties.”  (emphasis added)

ii.            Young had as much chance as old to serve.  Those who were learning had as much chance as the professionals.  They served alongside each other.  This is discipleship!

G.      Lead like a missionary.  Pay attention to the context.

i.            Learn the culture(s) and the values of the people you lead.

ii.            Don’t assume you know the “right way”

iii.            Listen, observe, learn. “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.  I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22