What 100 churches have shown me

Saturday night I googled something I’ve never searched for before: “Churches near me.” It was so interesting, scrolling through the options, getting a “outsider’s perspective” as I perused websites and read About Us pages.

Such a variety.

Since Jeff would be competing in the Ironman 70.3 race, it would just be the kids and I attending, and we needed to be done by 10:30am in order to get to his race, so I made my super-spiritual selection simply based on who was nearby and had the earliest service.

8:30am, Grace Community Church, 3 miles away. Done. It was lovely. We might have been the only ones under 70 :), but it was simple, humble, beautiful. Everything pointed to God. The Scriptures were taught. Christ was exalted.

It was so refreshing to my soul, I wept my way through worship, my parched soul gulping down the amazing grace. Jesus is so glorious!

See, we visited three different churches during our road-trip, everything from extremely charismatic to Southern Baptist to non-denominational community church. God did some measure of work in my heart at all three, even though they were vastly different in doctrine and style. 

Earlier in the trip, at the conference we attended, a woman seated next to me had talked to Jeff, and somehow it came up that I had recently spoken at a retreat located near the woman’s hometown. She was familiar with the venue, and raised her eyebrows as she remarked,

“Wow, I’m surprised they would have hired a conference speaker who would be attending this.”

I smiled. I sort of knew she’d say that. You see, I speak at a wide-variety of churches and conferences. Everything from Assemblies of God to Nazarene to Calvary Chapel to Southern Baptist to Presbyterian. And honestly? I absolutely love it.

I love the wide variety. I love that I have no idea what to expect until I get there. I love seeing the ages range from 18-88, dressed in sweatpants and stilettos, rich and poor. I love that to some being “led by the Spirit” means they sing a song verse a second time through, unplanned (!), while others think this involves spontaneously speaking in tongues. I love that some sit quietly, heads bowed, and some are dancing in the aisles.

I think Jesus can handle that. 

I think God is big enough to move mountains in our midst, no matter our personality or preference or style. I think the Holy Spirit can change the course of someone’s life no matter how ecstatic he feels. 

If there’s anything I’ve learned from partnering with nearly 100 churches in my years of speaking and teaching, it’s that I think we make a way bigger deal about our distinctions than God does. I think we place way too much emphasis on getting our distinct position exactly right and way too little emphasis on getting our hearts right. 

Jesus rebuked people saying, “You tithe mint and cumin! But you neglect the weightier matters! Give as offering the things that are within.”

So many are concerned about creating exactly the right atmosphere for the Spirit of God to move. I’m raising my hand: Guilty as charged. The right lighting, volume, sound, the right graphics and humor and don’t botch the transition… and and and and and…

“The offering of God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite spirit God will not despise. (Ps. 51):17”

Oh! If only we would just focus on the atmosphere of our hearts! NOTHING can keep you from truly worshipping God. Even if everyone around you is yawning, even if the music isn’t perfect, even if the preacher isn’t polished, even if the lighting isn’t just so, or EVEN (*gasp*) if your toddler is squirming in your arms.

YOU might not have as much of an exhilarating experience, but GOD IS BLESSED by our offering when our hearts are truly set on Him.

Isn’t He the One that matters anyway?

Isn’t our worship about Him?

Isn’t HE the reason we go to church? How did we end up thinking this was all about us?

Saturday night, when I told the kids we’d be getting up early to visit a church before going to Daddy’s race, they both complained.

“We don’t like going to new places. I don’t want to get up early. I don’t like having to meet new people. I only like our own church.”

And I responded:

“I know this isn’t your preference. I know it isn’t your favorite thing. But you know what? We go to church not because we feel like it, or it’s our first choice, we go to church because it honors God. It’s for Him, not us. So, I will make it as comfortable as I can for you. You can stay with me and not go to kids’ class. If you don’t want to chitchat with strangers, that’s fine. I’ll talk for you. But we will go with a happy heart because it’s the Lord’s Day and we will honor Him, just as we’ll then go to Daddy’s race to honor him.”

By God’s grace, their hearts changed, and they agreed without complaint.

And we were so blessed.

Friends, I have an urgency in my heart to plead with you: Choose to worship God no matter what your atmosphere, how you feel or don’t feel, no matter how imperfect your situation. I believe there will come a day when it will truly COST us to worship God. Will we choose Him now, no matter how we feel? Will you honor Him, not only on Sunday, but every day, because He is worthy? Let us rend our HEARTS, not our garments, and give as our offering the things that are within. Our hearts. Our lives. Our all. 

{Thanks for reading.}