How much thought do you give to how your worship helps your congregation witness to others? Our congregations are communities of believers who strive to live their faith in everyday life. Our lives lived outside of the church are where the proverbial rubber meets the road of our faith. This is where we are seen and known as Christ followers. This is where faith is put into action! Hopefully, our worship and church life can help us find ways to do this and can be a model to our congregations and communities. A welcoming worship experience will demonstrate the good news of Jesus Christ proclaimed to the world.
In Matthew 25:42–45, Jesus teaches
“For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”
This is where we start! I would argue churches that are more interested in self-serving and self-preserving activities are not fulfilling their Christ calling. Both as corporate congregations and as individuals, our calling is to be a light to the world, seeking to minister to those in need around us, finding ways to reach out to strangers, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. A great starting point to becoming a welcoming church is to discover new ways to fulfill this scripture passage. Jesus’ words are just as appropriate today as they were 2000 years ago. We can partner with our congregations to help clothe the naked, heal the sick, and visit and encourage those in prison, both literal and figurative. Church musicians can support these efforts through their literature selections as well as their personal participation in these efforts to follow the teachings of Jesus.
Worship is first and foremost an acknowledgement of God and God’s goodness and abundance. We gather to celebrate God’s mighty acts and God’s saving power through Jesus Christ. A vibrant church worship life can be a beacon of hope and a positive influence in the community. Celebrating this abundance by sharing it with others is loving God. By extension, we are commanded to love our neighbors in the world around us. Worship that focuses on the needs of God’s people can deepen one’s own faith. We discover the inherent joy of Christ when we reach out to others in Christ’s name. In the midst of this reaching, our own faith is strengthened and we experience the joy of following God’s commandments to love one another. We are the body of Christ, and we are called to love and serve all God’s people
When our worship is God-focused, the natural result will cultivate a spirit of compassion and care for the needs of others. Acts 1:8 reminds us “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” One of the best ways today’s church can be a witness to the end of the earth is to love our neighbor.
Jesus said “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). What better way can we be a witness to the world than by loving those around us with reckless abandon and abundance?
