Game Day

Game Day

Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 100, 1 Samuel 16:7

Cast:  Two adults of any age.  One is a sportscaster and the other a coach.

Set:  A table and two chairs or just two men standing with microphones (real or as props).  A sign or banner that reads GAME DAY might add to the pre-game setting.

Pre-conversation activity could be the sportscaster and coach greeting each  other and taking their seats or already seated at the table and the sportscaster looking to the off stage director and whispering “Are we live?” and then kicking off the program.  Lead in music might add to the game day setting.

This particular drama might also be recorded on video and played on a screen to give the feeling of viewing at home.

The time has finally come.  It is the season opener for Wednesday evening worship.  What are the keys to victory this evening, coach?

Here’s what I’m calling the holy trinity of worship success.

That’s catchy.

I hope it catches on.  First in this threesome of worship things to get right is the reading of God’s word aloud.  We are supposed to read his holy word all week long, but when we come together, there is nothing like reading it aloud.

That is powerful.  Could it get any better?

Absolutely.  Sometimes we read it aloud together.  Sometimes we say it aloud because God’s holy word is written in our hearts.

You are talking about memorizing scripture.

Talking about it?  We are doing it.  There are millions of people who just talk about doing things.  We do them.

OK.  What’s next.

Next, we lift our voices to the Lord.  We make joyful sounds. 

So just throw in a little music to accompany everything else?

No, we don’t just throw in anything.  Lifting our voices to the Lord is essential to worship.  It is not a sound track that accompanies the important stuff.  It is important stuff.

For those who are musically inclined anyway.

Every living thing needs to cry out in joy to the Lord, especially those of us who are the crown of his creation.  We may not hit every note just right but our hearts are perfectly tuned to please God when our words are offered with joy.

I don’t mean to pick at you coach, but it seems that a lot of people are sitting this part out, or standing it out.  They stand up but it seems like they can’t wait for the song to end.

You’re right.  They look at worship like a buffet, skipping over the parts they are not interested in and filling up on something else.

Like the sermon or the prayer?

Sometimes that’s what they are waiting for—you do occasionally get a joke or two thrown in the sermon—but sometimes their minds and their hearts are set upon things of the world.  They are in the worship service but they are NOT IN THE WORSHIP SERVICE!  They just can’t wait to get this singing stuff over with.

That’s got to be a challenge.

It is, but that’s what we coaches signed up for.

So what’s number three in your worship coaching trinity?

A heart of worship.

That’s different.  You can tell if people read or if they sing, but how do you coach this?

That one is all in God’s hands. He knows the heart.  Sometimes people will be lifting their hands and jumping up and down with the music but their heart knows it’s all for their own attention.  Sometimes people don’t seem to be into what’s happening, but their hearts are perfectly tuned into the Lord.

So we don’t judge by what’s on the outside?

Not here.  God sees the heart.  If we were playing baseball, then you had better pay attention to what’s happening on the outside or you get called on three pitches or picked off on first or…

Got it, coach.  So read, sing, and have a heart for worship—is that all you need?

There’s more, but you must master the basics first.

That’s all the time we have right now.  Maybe we can talk more at half time.

Looking forward to it.

The end.