The title probably caused you to think; what does any of that have to do with worship. Unfortunately, it has to do with too much of worship as we know it today. The church has been influenced too much by popularity, publicity, and programs to the weakening of authentic worship. A congregation can survive, thrive, and even appear to prosper by the exercise of human talent without any infusion by the Holy Spirit. But that simply becomes religious activity. One day our self-employed talents will burn up and only what was brought and worked by the Spirit will stand.
The church needs leadership and membership who have passed from religious star to self-effacing saint desiring no praise and seeking no place, happy only when glory is given to God and himself forgotten. Trying to popularize the Christian faith and worship only damages that faith. The cross of Christ will never become socially acceptable or popular. That which is of Adam will always persecute that which is of Christ. Far too many easily bow to popularity betraying Him not because they hate Him, but because they desire popularity and or money.
Without us realizing it the world is using the Church in our day to achieve its own ends. Publicity is worshipped almost like a god. To be known, to get your picture in the papers, to have someone quote you, to imagine you are somebody -- that's publicity. Is it any wonder our youth's secret dream is not to be a worshipper but to get into "pictures"? Popularity and publicity work hand in hand to diminish our desire for the glory of God in worship.
Programs, yea, even our programs, methods, organizations and all of our nervous activity occupy our time and attention in the church but never can satisfy the longing heart to "know Him" and worship Him! The shallowness of our worship and imitation of the world found in our promotional methods show that programs rather than the pursuit of God reign over us. Our programs in the church have become so well tuned that we live under the dictatorship of the routine. If not careful, we can program ourselves into deadness and apathy.
Our pursuit of God in worship needs to simply be that. Popularity, publicity, and programs have nothing to do or add to that. We live in a day that we must constantly guard against that notion. mjm
