New Age Worship

I came across an interesting article today. It talks about "5 Kinds of Christians" you can view it here if you're interested: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/fall/1.19.html?start=1
To sum it all up, it speaks of the new age appetite for deeper more significant worship that many people are getting from places other than Church.

Now days people can get praise and worship music from the radio or iPod or hear a powerful sermon from a preacher on TV. The bar has been set high by the new age means people use to get connected. So many church leaders feel that people come to their local Church expecting that same "high". In the article, Wilkerson acknowledges:

"we [the leaders of the Church] probably end up perpetuating that kind of appetite by trying to be as high-quality as what we find out there. The temptation of larger churches is to compete and to be as good as the others are."

Now I realize that is the reality of it all. However, the thought of Church's COMPETING to be better or just as good as another lights a fire in the depths of my soul - it's vinegar to my ears, ya'll. I understand that we need to be good shepards but that goes beyond the type of music we play, the way our church looks, or how we dress. What good is a building if you can't keep the people there because we are so caught up in the MATERIAL things (i.e worldly view, temporary treasures, looks, etc) and we forget to feed the hungry with something that will fill them for a lifetime (i.e. God's word, God's love, kind followship, etc.).

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor 4:17-18)

Are we so consumed with pleasing the world that we forget about pleasing the Lord? How can we worship God with pure hearts when our eyes are focused on the here and now, ya'll? Oh honeys, if you want to get down to the TRUE meaning of sheparding it all comes down to the hearts of the people. You can have my iPod, honey, because I'd much rather spend my time listening to an out of tune lady worshiping God with a pure heart, any day!

We need to keep our eyes upon Jesus and put our complete trust in Him, period.

"All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."(Rom 8:28)

Now on a similar note, here are some things the article pointed out that I'm still chewing on:

1. The local church is no longer considered the only outlet for spiritual growth.
2. Churches must develop relational- and community-oriented outreach.
3. Lay people have to be better equipped to be God's ambassadors.