A lot of churches started with something like this yesterday:
“Welcome! We hope you feel comfortable with us today. If it’s your first time, then let us know if we can do anything to make you feel at home. We’re really glad you’re here.”
We used to call the start of a worship service something like “Call to Worship” or “Invocation.” We now tend to call it “Welcome.”
There’s a subtle shift going on here. It’s hard to argue against making people feel welcome. But everything in a worship service communicates something. The Call to Worship emphasizes God’s invitation to us to approach and worship him. The Invocation focuses on God’s presence within the worshiping community. Both begin with God.
In contrast, beginning with a Welcome shifts the focus to us. It puts us in the driver’s seat. We subtly communicate that it’s our goal to make the guest satisfied. This may be subtle, but it’s a huge shift in focus. Rather than coming in response to God’s invitation, and focusing on his presence, we assume God’s presence and want to make sure everyone in the congregation is happy.
I’m sure I’m exaggerating, and I don’t think this shift is always intentional. It actually comes from a good desire: to welcome people. But I think we’re always in danger of shifting the focus to ourselves, and when we become the focus of corporate worship, we’re all in a heap of trouble. Big trouble.
So I’m wondering if we need to rethink glib welcomes at the start of corporate worship, and instead remind people that we have been summoned to worship a God who is present. We can do this in all kinds of creative and non-stuffy ways, but we really need to begin here.
The Call to Worship exhorts God’s people to turn from worldly distractions and to focus hearts, minds, and actions on revering him…The Call to Worship is not simply a perfunctory greeting or human cordiality but is at once a weighty responsibility and a joyful privilege. The worship leader issues God’s invitation to join the heavenly throng that already and always praises him…God does not simply invite us to a party of friends, or a lecture on religion, or a concert of sacred music – he invites us into the presence of the King of the Universe before whom all creation will bow and for whom all heaven now sings. (Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Worship)
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I kind of wonder if the move from a Call to Worship to a welcoming of guests had to do with the way the Call was done previously? I don’t know really, I’m just wondering if the Call could have become a Call to come into our assembly instead of for the people of God to gather together and worship him? At any rate, these are good words and kindly stated. No “More Reformed Than Thou” in them at all. Thanks.
Darryl,
I think you are on to something. Although, I think, it is much bigger than the welcome/invocation. It is a mindset that lays behind much of how we do our corporate gatherings. So our song choices, corporate prayers and so on follow in the same pattern. It seems to me that it is less about me than I would want it to be. More 2nd personal subject pronouns and fewer 1st personal subject pronouns might be a good start.
Go thoughts, thanks
Mat
…”God does not simply invite us to a party of friends… he invites us into the presence of the King of the Universe”….
A perfect “Lectio Divina”. How we might change should we spend a little time each day pondering the great and simple truths of our faith.
To rediscover sacred space. To rediscover holiness.
Oh come onn. Next thing we’ll have to pray before an altar in the church parking lot before entering the church building to shake human hands – all in order to “put God first.” When does church really start anyhow? If our invocation comes in the form of the first prayer prayed or the first worship song sung or the first scripture read who cares about it’s precise placement.
Kim:
You’re right in a sense. I’m more aiming at our mindset than anything. I find it pretty easy for the focus to shift to an audience/me-centered mindset in our corporate worship.
Kim, are you conscious of the real presence of our Lord within you, when you worship?
Paul,
I’m conscious of the presence of the Lord within me right now because your question made me think of him. I’m not always conscious of him when I work or go shopping or chat with people in the foyer of the church. But on Sunday morning even in the shower I think I am pretty conscious of him because I’m anticipating corporate worship. For me when the people are welcomed or the announcements are given I’m worshipful because everything said in the church context is because of and for Christ. The together-presence of the people of God is special. The spokesperson who stands at the front and extends a warm welcome to people extends the love of Christ – impossible without the cross. The announcement about a cell group meeting or an opportunity to serve magnifies the word of Christ our Prophet and the sacrifice of Christ our High Priest. Praise the Lord!
Why pretend we can flip a switch and by citing an invocation from a psalm suddenly jar everyone into spiritual consciousness? Why risk trivializing our 24/7 worship of God by devaluing the welcome and announcements as though they should be assigned man-centered status? Does the efficacy of life lived for God in worship depend on my degree of God-awareness?
My question is does a person have to be conscious of the real presence of Jesus in order to worship Christ? Preaching is an act of worship and I bet a lot of the time a preacher is more conscious of saying it right, remaining coherent, and not going over-time than the real presence of Christ. Or is the real presence of Christ more about living for him than some lofty degree of active conscientiousness?
All,
Thanks for a good discussion. We do both a welcome and then an opening prayer to focus people, and then begin the service with a call to worship. Why? Welcomes are helpful to orient the people, especially newcomers and those unfamiliar with what we are about to do. The prayer puts the focus on God and the beauty of the gospel. The Call to worship lends a certain…God- centered dignity and historical sense to the liturgy.
Until Darryl brought it up, I never even considered that most churches had replaced one for the other. I thought ‘calls to worship’ mostly arose in liturgical circles, where the importance of regulating worship in line with the Word of God has been a historical emphasis. I thought non- liturgical churches did not do calls to worship, ever. Intrigued that they did, and now don’t. Thanks Darryl.
Kim:
I appreciate you challenging me. I don’t think we’re very far apart actually. I’m not saying it’s man-centered to do welcome and announcements. And I agree with you that we don’t flip a switch when the invocation takes place. But I find I need the reminder. I need lots of reminders, actually, from the other elements in the service as well.
Dan:
Good thoughts. I think you’re right. I’m going to have to pay attention to how you do the Welcome and Invocation next time I’m worshiping at Grace Toronto.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, Kim. I’m glad I asked you the question, given the first respone it evoked.
With regard to your question about worship, it is true for me that I cannot wholeheartedly honor and revere that which is sacred unless I am spiritually aware of Christ’s presence in and around me.
Sorry, Kim one last thought regarding your closing statements. I firmly believe that only by the real presence of the Spirit within me, which I will have to be both consciously aware of and freely surrendered too, can I live the life that God created for me.
I am still a work in progress.