Brian's Blog
Why do some churches have a drama presentation and we don’t? How come we don’t have announcements in the middle of the service? Why does the pastor lead the service and not a “worship leader”? Why do we confess our faith and pray the Lord’s Prayer? Why do we confess our sins? Why do we have a call to worship followed by an invocation? Why does the pastor lift his hands at the end of the service and pronounce a benediction? Why do we sing Psalms? Why does the pastor pay such close attention to the text of the Bible when he is preaching? Why do the elders offer such detailed and thought out prayers, rather that spontaneous prayers that are shorter? Why do we take and offering instead of installing boxes in the back of the sanctuary? Why do we partake of the Lord ’s Supper weekly? Why is there wine and grape juice? Why is the loaf leavened? Why do we baptize babies? Why do we sprinkle during baptism? We do we worship in the morning and in the evening?
Wow! That’s a lot of questions. Have you ever asked any of those? I have. In this section of our bulletin we will address a different aspect of our worship service and seek to explain it and offer Scriptural support for it’s inclusion in the service. Each week I will publish material on my blog here at New Life La Mesa.org. The link is http://newlifelamesa.org/pastor-brians-blog/, or you can navigate above to “Blogs,” and in the dropdown "Pastor Brian's blog". Most, if not all of the questions above, will be answered throughout the year. This is intended for your Christian education and edification. Hopefully this rational will encourage your faith and stir your heart in worship.
It is possible to do the right thing—even in worship—and yet not know why we are doing them. When this happens it is only a matter of time until the effects are seen. Inevitably there is a slow and gradual slide to revivalism, evangelicalism and away from Biblical worship. Knowing why we do what we do will serve as an anchor and it will cause us to love and appreciate all that God does for us when we gather in worship.