Socially Acceptable

Recently I was at a women's conference that was superb.  Absolutely fantastic.  Except for one area that I must say was quite discouraging.  During the part of the music segment of worship, I was shocked to see how distracted and distracting the women around me were. Totally disinterested in singing or even just listening to the singing, they instead picked this time to catch up with one another, organize purses, or sit and take a break.

Hmm.

Since then I've noticed that while especially predominant at that conference, these tendencies are not uncommon in worship at all.  It seems like they are indeed quite regular, expected, and accepted.

Now let me say, I am more passionate about this issue because my strongest mode of worship is music.  While the preaching and prayer are certainly times of worship for me as well, I am most focused, Spirit-filled, and inspired when praising and praying through music.

Let me also say that I don't expect everyone to be that way.  I know we all have our different "love languages" with God.  Some people's main mode of worship is Bible study; others, prayer; others, quiet meditation; etc.  And of course that's not to label these our sole modes of worship.  Just the ones that seem to regularly bring the most intimate and powerful interactions with God.  I don't expect or even want everyone to worship the same way as me- it doesn't bother me if others stand and listen to the music instead of sing; it doesn't bother me that lifting hands to God in praise isn't more common.  And I don't want it to bother others that I'm not "amen-ing" through the sermon or going forward at invitations.

But it seems like we've picked the times that are musical in a church service to take care of other business.  That's when we unwrap candy, walk in late, offer our neighbors gum, and get in quick conversations.

We say it's because it's less distracting and rude.  Wouldn't want to make the preacher uncomfortable by our behavior; wouldn't want to make a scene during prayer.

But let's face it, the only one's we're concerned about is ourselves.  We blame it on others by not wanting to "distract" or "bother" them.  But really we just want to pick the most unnoticeable time for us.  So that we are not embarrassed.  So that others won't stare or glare at us. 

And so we wait.  And when that song starts, then we walk in.  Then we get that candy.  Then we share that story.

If we behaved to this extent in this way during the rest of the service we'd be viewed as immature or even offensive.  But for some reason we've decided that it's all okay when it's during a song.

Forgetting that it is during prayer.  And it is during preaching.  And it is during an invitation.

And it is during worship.