This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

What if I don't like the liturgy?

Is there room for personal preferences when it comes to how we worship together on Sundays? The answer is yes. Of course there is.

The order of our services (i.e. liturgy) is only a tool. Strategy is involved. We shape it and plan it according to a number of principles. For example:

1. The gospel. It's our ministry...a re-presentation of the same old story. Every time.
2. The Bible. Although it never prescribes a form, it does describe crucial elements.
3. The people. Our practices must be accessible to the congregation.

Our pattern communicates something.

Every church must think carefully and regularly about what they do when they gather for worship. Our general plan is explained here and I'm not under any delusion that our plan is the one and only, right and correct, authorized plan. It works for us. It's faithful to the principles above. We are committed to following it and we are also committed to changing it when necessary.

There is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

When it comes to sermon styles, musical styles, the languages spoken, the length of the service, how the Sacraments are incorporated, and the countless other parts of a service, you must decide. What church are you called to worship with?

Use the Scriptures. Ask questions. Consider others in your decision, because this isn't only about you. Find a local church and make a contribution. Add your voice to their voices and let God be praised and the church edified. If Jesus enjoys it...even if it turns out you can't find the perfect church...you can still participate with joy.

There is no perfect liturgy.

Actually, that's not true. There is a perfect liturgy and it's going on in heaven right now (and forevermore). For now you have preferences...and your preferences are YOUR preferences. Treat them like that and you'll do fine.

Don't allow your preferences to go unchecked and unquestioned. Don't demand everyone else to like what you like. And don't make your preferences an excuse for not gathering with the church. If nothing else, go and be delighted by the sight of God's people delighting in God. Let them use their liturgy to tell you the story of how God saved them. This we should all "like."

Resources:

1. Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice, by Bryan Chapell
2. Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship, by David Peterson
3. Worship by the Book, edited by D.A. Carson
4. Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God, by Bob Kauflin

This Sunday David Christensen (Church Intern) begins a 3 week sermon series through the Book of Jude.

"I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed..."

Preaching last Sunday from Revelation 20, Pastor Eric exhorted us to love the Millennium. He said Jesus revealed it to us that we might avoid "eschatological hysteria" and persevere in our trials.

It is impossible to change God's plan of salvation.

It is impossible to defeat God's people.

It is impossible to deceive God.

For those interested in more about this passage and it's interpretation (in no particular order):

• A Case for Amilennialism by Kim Riddlebarger (local OC pastor, a careful examination of key passages, more scholarly)
• Amilennialism Today by William E. Cox (simple and encouraging, an old favorite of Pastor Eric)
• Kingdom Come by Sam Storms (contemporary church leader who made a very public shift in his eschatological position, comprehensive but easy to read)
• The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views edited by Robert C. Clouse
• Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond edited by Stanley N. Gundry
• The Bible and the Future by Anthony E. Hoekema (a classic work for serious students)

Last Sunday we paused during our service to thank God for Chris. He and his family have been here since the very beginning and their ministry to us is irreplaceable. And it's right to thank God for them.

Affirming God's grace and character in someone not only refreshes the person, but honors God.

Chris has set a wonderful example of what it means to be a leader, in this case as our Worship Leader. Humble, joyful, faithful, never grumbling or complaining, always encouraging and inspiring faith. Today, as other men take over his remaining responsibilities on the music team, they inherit a church full of people who love to sing. Thanks Chris. We thank God for you.

This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

What about the Superbowl?

Ever get the feeling like all the fun stuff happens on Sundays? While we are in church?! Ugh.

I know the Superbowl doesn't start until after our service, but you can't rush bacon ribs and tater tots. They take time! And if it's not the Superbowl, then it's something else. BTW...my dream is to go to one of those fancy Sunday brunches. Ever notice they don't advertise Monday Brunches? I do.

What about fun?

So what it really comes down to is fun, right? It's fun to watch the Superbowl. It's fun to shop at a swap meet. It's fun to go to a festival, read the newspaper at Cafe Lucca, or to even run in a marathon. Whatever floats your boat...if it's fun then people are probably doing it on Sunday mornings.

Every Sunday morning.

You and I make a choice every Sunday morning. Some weeks it's easier than others, but it's still a choice.

What would be the best way to spend this Sunday?

Why has God given me this Sunday?

Who is this Sunday about?

Who decides how I spend this Sunday?

Is this even my Sunday to spend?

I think the big challenge for us is to start by renewing our mind and breaking free of the culture we live in. Question the very questions we have been trained to ask.

The Pursuit of Happiness

It's our inalienable right. We get to pick. We're the land of the free. We do what we want, when we want, if we want...and you can't stop me.

But that's not true. 

Apart from the saving power of Jesus Christ, we are slaves to our pursuit of happiness. And our pursuit of happiness was misguided and flawed and hopeless. I wanted a thousand Superbowls and yet not one of them ever made me truly, lastingly happy.

No Superbowl will be enough.

Go ahead and spend some Sundays doing things other than gathering with your church to love your God. Missing one or two Sundays probably won't make much of a difference...at least not to you. But I believe you were saved for something better. You were freed to love something more. You're consistent participation in Sundays week after week will produce more fun than this world will ever enjoy.

This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

What About Sports?

I have a 12 year old son who is 6'4", 230 pounds, and wears size 15 shoes. We call him "the gentle giant." The basketball scouts call him "money."

Yet most leagues play or practice on Sundays...I knew we'd face this challenge at some point. If my son wants to be competitive or (as is often the case) I want him to be competitive, skipping church and choosing sports seems inevitable. The best basketball players play on Sundays.

Most don't attend church.

But the difficulty lies not with basketball. Let's make that much clear. Basketball was God's idea. So was football, baseball, base jumping, and freestyle walking. We have only discovered what God knew all along...doing these things are fun. Very fun.

So pick your sport. Enjoy your sport. Glorify God by competing in your sport or just do it for the exercise. Thank God for sports.

Just don't worship your sport.

Here's where wisdom is necessary. When does our participation in a sport become something that doesn't glorify God? When do we cross the line? When do we make sports out to be more than what God intended?

This looks different for every athlete. There's no easy answer and it's really about every day of the week, not just Sundays. However, when it comes to Sundays, I'd encourage you to be wary of choosing to compete rather than to meet with your church family. I know this is hard...that's why it's called a choice.

You must choose.

You have a choice. Don't believe the lie. You (or your child) doesn't have to be the best or to play with the best. Or even play at all.

And what really is "best" anyways? A son who a) dominates on the basketball court or b) a son who loves to sing in the assembly? I know the answer is B, but I'd like A too. I really would!

I think it's possible to say yes to your sport and miss church...and do it in a way that glorifies God. But when your sport makes the choice for you...or you simply enjoy your sport more than you enjoy God...something is wrong. Your sport is taken away from you the very things God has saved you to enjoy. Your sport has become your idol.

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P.S. Parents, your children need help making these decisions too. Don't let their coach, school, friends, or the NBA decide what's most important for them. Train them to live for God. Keep them from idols (1 John 5:19-21).

Our last few minutes together on Sundays are precious.

We won't be together again for 7 days. Not all of us. And it's the one last chance to greet our guests or make spontaneous plans for lunch and fellowship. And we've just encounter God together.

It's this last reason that we've assembled a team to pray with you after the service. You hear it every week...

"Don't leave without asking questions.

"Don't leave without praying."

There's just something in that moment, if God has met you in a significant way, that you don't want to miss or trivialize. Just the opposite, you want to capitalize on it. Ask God for more, ask God to finish, ask for help from a brother or sister. Pause before you head out into the city.

If you don't have someone to pray with and the person or pastor you are looking for is unavailable, head up to the lectern at the front of the room. We'll always be sure to have a few trusted individuals to pray with you.

This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

What about vacations?

Attending church while on vacation can feel counterproductive. I get it.

You're finally away from it all...you're sleeping in, having fun, making memories, going with the flow. Just the idea of having something on your calendar might ruin the party.

Or perhaps you're more of an adventurer. You like the open road, or a trail into the wilderness, a remote location, surfing Baja, and lots and lots of activity. You like to do things that lead you away from the city. Attending church would be an inconvenience.

What delights you?

First we need to decide if spending Sundays with the church is more duty or delight. If duty, then going to church on vacation feels burdensome. If delight, then going to church on vacation is part of your vacation.

I know it's not a one-to-one correlation...sometimes visiting a church feels exhausting and that's not what you're looking for. But as a professor of mine once commented "What are you saying when you intentionally avoid church to rest?"

Public worship is a time to be delighted. We hear the gospel sung, celebrated, and preached. It has a wonderfully rejuvenating effect upon our souls. You could even say "Sundays are vacation."

Plan your vacation.

I'd recommend you try visiting a church while traveling this year. Use your Sunday morning away to accomplish the very things you left town to accomplish in the first place.

1. Use lists like 9marks, The Gospel Coalition, and Sovereign Grace to select a church.
2. Balance out your time with sufficient sleep, alone time, and activities to ensure you have Sunday free.
3. Prepare yourself (and those you're with) to be blessed and to be a blessing. Go with the intention of encouraging others. Pick one or two people, learn their story, and thank them for being the church in places like this.
4. If possible, try visiting the same church every time you vacation. Build a relationship with your home away from home. You never know...you might even find new friends!