Forced Worship

[berkeley]

I have been in a few services like this...

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Amos

How dare he.

Famous Amos! And I missed you.

Yeah, everybody knows about them ultracon pastors calling people out to "take a lap" and smothering their poofs with an anointed noogie.

I think Kings Kid probably had something else in mind, though. Leading a great worship service takes a real gift and every pastor I ever heard of is keen to find ways to tune his approach and to find good leaders to be used in their churches. Sometimes it really is hit or miss and the only way to "learn" is on the job. This makes for plenty of opportunities to get it wrong.

But when they get it right... !

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Bryan

I have been in a few services like this...

Well turn around and look at us, your congregation!
(see avatar)

[jdm05]

Originally Posted by Esther

I hope there never comes a day that I have to feel I was forced to worship my God.

I Love Him, I gladly give Him praise and worship.

Either you love Him and want to worship Him or you don't. Don't think that can be forced.

You may give lip service but that is not worship. IMO

I totally agree with you. Many years ago I was at a service and the pastor said, " if you really love God then run." I was a little surprised. So if I didn't run the aisle it meant I did not love God? I stood there feeling like I was being forced. I didn't run because I did not feel too. I had the usher come up to me and tell me I was "dry bones" and not a christian for not running. I told this brother that anybody can run the aisle and proclaim their love for God; it's when you walk out the church doors where it counts. I told him that we would see who is still in church a year from then.

Just because he ran a marathon at church, it does not make him a true christian. He told me not to be mad. I told him not to judge. I kid you not, a little over a year later he went to prison. After he got out he went back to church and I said I'm still here brother.

[live4him]

Originally Posted by DerrickS

My understanding of what was meant was whether a pastor or other minister should try to "create" an atmosphere that may not exist when maybe it's time to move on to another part of the service. I think there is a time and place in services for music, worship, preaching, etc. And I do think that sometimes those running the service may not proceed with a keen attention to the flow of the service. On the other hand, I think that the pastor may be MORE aware than the congregation that a move of God is imminent, and try to encourage them to stay in the right frame of mind to receive it.

you just explained it all, good job

[Praxeas]

I don't know what you mean by "force" but if you mean encourage or motivate, then I am all for it. What do we go to church for anyways? To just sit there? "But I don't feel like worshipping"..then don't. Go home. Or maybe you don't have to feel like worshipping just to worship. If you don't want to worship God, despite that being what you were created to do..despite the fact you are supposed to be a worshipper, then don't. But there are some folks that just won't worship or need a little nudge to continue worshipping. If that is what it takes to get the glory of God, then fine! I'd rather have someone motivate me to worship than not have the glory or moving of His Spirit in our service.

Now...on the other hand if the Pastor or whoever expects me to run or jump or dance as the ONLY way to praise or worship God then yes I have an issue with that. In other words if I am worshipping and you don't like the fact that I only raised my hands and verbally give God glory....then tuff :-)

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Kings Kid

I agree with you there needs to be an atmosphere that needs to be created. Instead of a minister getting up and saying He wants his church to worship like an apostolic church.

Sounds to me like he is trying to revive a dead or dying church.

We often sit in church and wait to see or feel which way the service is going or how God is going to move then we react to that move. It should be the other way around. God is omnipresent, HE is everywhere, all the time. And God is reactive. HE reacts to praise and worship. We should be reaching out to HIM, praising HIM, worshipping HIM, then HE will react to that by moving in the service. We go to church in order to gather together in one accord and worship God. If we do our part, God will always move. If God is not moving in your services or church, its because God is reacting to what your doing. JMO

[TJJJ]

It is amazing to me that when the WORSHIP LEADER tries to lead, people don't want to follow! Oh, I understand about those men that try to force people to do things that they don't want to do, but it seems to me like some don't even want to follow the leader. Why have a worship leader if your not going to follow? Is the service just a "do your own thing"? It has seemed to me that there are some people who make it their bsiness to just be out of sync with the rest of the cogregation, regardless of what the rest of the people are doing.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I don't know what you mean by "force" but if you mean encourage or motivate, then I am all for it. What do we go to church for anyways? To just sit there? "But I don't feel like worshipping"..then don't. Go home. Or maybe you don't have to feel like worshipping just to worship. If you don't want to worship God, despite that being what you were created to do..despite the fact you are supposed to be a worshipper, then don't. But there are some folks that just won't worship or need a little nudge to continue worshipping. If that is what it takes to get the glory of God, then fine! I'd rather have someone motivate me to worship than not have the glory or moving of His Spirit in our service.

Now...on the other hand if the Pastor or whoever expects me to run or jump or dance as the ONLY way to praise or worship God then yes I have an issue with that. In other words if I am worshipping and you don't like the fact that I only raised my hands and verbally give God glory....then tuff :-)

Well said, Prax.

I would rather have a worship leader who is zealous in encouraging people to worship God - because HE deserves so much more worship and glory than we are even capable of offering Him.

I think I am much more concerned about a leader who has such an "agenda" in place when he walks into the service, that the Spirit of God couldn't move if He wanted to. I've seen that happen way too often.

[ManOfWord]

Nothing wrong with being sincerely challenged to give your all to Jesus including your worship. However, I NEVER tell people what to do regarding worship. If "it" ain't there, I can't produce it. If "it" is there, I don't need to do anything. We don't have to have a "blow out" to say we had church, but when people spontaneously come to the altar during worship and kneel or fall on their face, I think you can safely say that God is touching them and His presence is moving!

I used to be really good at TELLING people how they must worship and what it looks like etc. Who in the world did I think I was to be so arrogant?