“What does real worship look like? There have never been more options in worship style than today. There is the sacred silence of the Quakers; the stately pageantry of Catholics and Episcopalians; the unpredictable emotionalism of old-line Pentecostals; the predictable order of traditional Baptists and Presbyterians and Methodists; the creative and experimental openness of contemporary churches. This is not an exhaustive analysis, but the truth is clear; in American Christianity today, it’s not “one-size-fits-all.”

“Many churches are changing their worship styles in order to accommodate “church growth.” In other words, their worship is “seeker-sensitive” and “client-centered” (to borrow a phrase from the business world). Worship for these churches is all about connecting with the unchurched and the unsaved. The first question these church leaders as is, “How do I connect the message of the gospel with those who need it most?”

“Then there are those churches which believe that the first question to be asked about worship is, “What does God desire of us? How can we glorify and honor Him in our worship?” In these churches, worship is not designed primarily to attract outsiders; it is done to glorify God. Evangelism is a by-product of God-centered worship in these churches, not the primary purpose for gathering and worship.

“The Lord does not want [us] to either remain floating in the eddies of tradition or to ride the wave of “what’s happening now.” He wants us to look into His word, listen to His voice, and follow His leading. The greatest challenge to the 21st century church is not style, but substance. It is not the “order” of the worship, but the “ardor” of the worship. It is not the choreography of the platform team, but the “perichoresis” or sacred dance of the Holy Trinity, moving in freedom in our times of corporate worship."

- Alan Day

Worship

"Let go of a small part of your righteousness, and in a few days, you will be at peace." - Abba Poemen, Sayings of the Fathers

Self-Righteousness

"Loss is transformative if it is met with faith. Faith is our chance to make sense of loss, to cope with the stone that rolls around in the hollow of our stomachs when something we loved, something we thought was forever, is suddenly gone." - David J. Wolfe, Making Loss Matter

Loss

"Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance, because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness." - Blaise Pascal, Pensees

Knowing God

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Heart

"A Christian cannot win God’s forgiveness, but he can lose it by refusing to extend it to a brother." - John P. Meier, The Vision of Matthew

Forgiveness

"God will comfort us. That is true. But God will, and already does, comfort us through all those who accept us as sisters and brothers, bind up our wounds, wipe away our tears, and are kind to us in all circumstances. That is how God comforts us." - Gerhard Lohfink, The Work of God Goes On

Comfort

"We are not just looking for something to happen, we are looking for Someone to come!"
- Vance Havner

Revival

"Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built."
- James Dobson

Parenting

"I am in debt to the memory-making efforts that my father made to imprint indelibly upon my mind the meaning of integrity."
- Allen Emery

Parenting

"When fathers are tongue tied religiously with their offspring, need they wonder if their children’s hearts remain sin tied?" - C. H. Spurgeon

Parenting

"Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys." -Anonymous

Mentoring