It's not about me....

I've been blessed to have the opportunity to lead a Bible study on worship. We're going to be discussing lots of different ideas of worship, but we have been laying a foundation in talking about what worship is, what the differences are with corporate vs. personal worship and one of the interesting things that has come up is from an article that I acquired in college by former Synodical President A.L. Barry entitled "7 Theses on Worship". One of them is talking about the idea that worship isn't about us. All too often, many people in a "traditional" or "contemporary" service will leave worship saying "I didn't get anything out of the service". Well, if that's the case, there was probably something blocking the way. God gives us His gifts of Word and Sacrament, and those are very important things we get out of worship. But worship isn't about us. It's not about what music we like or don't like. It's not about whether we like if the pastor chants or speaks the liturgy. In the end, none of those things really matter. But what DOES matter in corporate worship is that we gather, as fellow sinner/saints, redeemed by Jesus Christ, and we have the opportunity to hear God's Word and receive the Sacraments. THAT is what worship is about. It's about God and what He has done for us through Jesus.