Worship Charades

“Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.” (Isaiah 1:17 MSG)

A gym is a good place for observing people. Other than the obvious physical differences in those who show up, it is interesting to watch what people do while they are there. Many gym members fall into these broad categories: Trendy Dressers, Selfie-Takers, Groups of Friends, Serious Fitness Buffs, Slackers, Spectators, and Socializers. How they spend their time and energy reveals their motivations and priorities. 

Similarly, a church is a good place to observe people. Many church attendees fall into the following broad categories: Habitual Christians, Committee Members, Social Cliques, Holiday Drop-ins, and Committed Disciples of Christ. The famous preacher Billy Graham once commented that he thought only about 10 percent of all regularly attending church members were actually Christians! 

“Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games:

Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings... (Isaiah 1:13 MSG)

The majority of church-goers are busy playing worship charades and other religious games. They mistakenly think that checking attendance boxes and being active in church-sponsored events is a sign of holiness. True followers of Christ can be identified by their behavior: They say no to wrong, learn to do good, work for justice, help the down-and-out, stand up for the homeless, and go to bat for the defenseless. Their motivations and priorities align with what the gospels teach and how Jesus lived.