Imagine yourself on a date–not a blind date or a date with someone you don’t know very well–but a date with someone with whom you are madly in love and you know them very, very well. Because I am a man–and to make the writing and reading easier–I will write from the perspective of a man.
You get dressed and check your look in the mirror, all the while thinking about her and how beautiful she is and how much you love her and love to be with her. You hop on the city bus that takes you to your favorite restaurant where she said she’d meet you. As you ride the bus you daydream of your time with her, even rehearse some things you plan to say to her. You make small talk with other passengers about your upcoming date and they tell you they are also on their way to dates at the very same restaurant. You all spend the rest of the ride talking excitedly about your dates.
A large group and yourself all pour out of the bus and enter the restaurant. You check in and are escorted to your table. The chair across from you is empty. You sit for a while and make conversation with some of the others patrons, also sitting across from empty chairs. You begin again to daydream about your date–only moments away– and you hum the melody of ‘your song.’ You quietly whisper her name and close your eyes. As you open your eyes, you see that she is now sitting across from you. She is beautiful. You are so glad to finally be with her.
The waiter comes to your table and pours some water. He takes your drink order, then has you stand up and greet the other patrons at the tables surrounding yours. Next, they spend a few minutes letting you know what their specials will be over the next few weeks.
Your waiter seats you again and leaves. You say to your date, “You look radiant tonight” and you offer your hand, which she takes. You notice how soft, how warm it is. You become aware of romantic music being piped in. You look long and deep into each other’s eyes. You lean in. The room lights dim so that you can only see her now. You move closer, clasping her hand with both of yours. Your mind is flooded with thoughts about her. Your heart is overflowing with feelings of love, romance, connection. You search for the words to convey what you are thinking and feeling.
The background music suddenly stops with a loud scratch, like a needle being dragged across a record. The lights go up and the waiter, who is again at your table, announces his return with an “Ahem!” He takes your order and then introduces the Head Waiter, who directs you to take out a copy of your date’s diary, which is hidden under your seat. He has his own copy of her diary, from which he reads several entries and then spends the next 30-45 minutes telling you all about her. He closes his presentation with an invitation to meet her.
Okay, Hopefully you can see that I’m using some exaggerated metaphor to make a point.
When we constantly interrupt our worship services for announcements, scripture readings, homily’s, prayers, etc., we are disrupting the flow of the service, which disrupts the intimacy of the worship. To me, it’s like the story above, where the couple is really keying into each other and the waiter keeps interrupting them.
Am I saying don’t have announcements? No. Am I saying skip scripture readings, homily’s and prayers? No. Am I discounting the Bible or sermons? No way! I’m just saying that if it is truly our goal to get THERE–to help our worshipers enter into deep, intimate, personal worship with the God of the universe–then we need to limit distractions and encourage flow in our services.
We can start off the service with a gathering song, stop to make announcements, then enter into an extended time of worship. Many churches then celebrate communion. I like to FLOW into communion, letting one or more instruments play quietly as someone shares a communion meditation and/or prayer. Then the service can continue to flow as music plays during the passing of the elements or the congregational procession to receive them. If it is a prayer time that follows, the music can subtly underscore the prayer time or delicately fade out as the prayer time starts.
I’m not telling anyone how to program their service. I’m just trying to illustrate the importance of intimacy in worship, and how distractions and start/stop service styles detract from that.
Remember, we worship leaders are the bus driver trying to get our worship tour passengers from HERE to THERE and keep them there so they can meet with God.
Scott Jasmin
