Worship Matters - What are we proclaiming?

This is a quote from the book Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin:
"People come into our churches proclaiming all sorts of things with their words and actions.  Through close-fisted giving, some are asserting how much their own personal wealth matters.  Others, by their complaining, are declaring that personal comfort matters.  Teens in the latest fashions may be proclaiming that being cool matters.  Others confirm through their smiles or frowns that their musical preferences matter.
But we want each of them to leave proclaiming this: The gospel of Jesus Christ matters."

It's easy to lose focus when leading worship week after week about what we're really doing.  It's easy to get preoccupied with how smoothly things run, how close to on time the service leaves out, whether people are singing or not, whether I talked too long or not, and all of these things are important in their own right, but when it comes down to it the most important thing is whether the people who came in left with their vision more firmly focused on the cross of Christ and it's influence or lack thereof in every area of their life.  I need God to continually refocus me on this in my own life, and I hope and pray that He will use me week after week to make this a reality in the lives of those He has given me to serve.

What are you proclaiming today?  Are you proclaiming comfort, rest, riches, education?  Are you proclaiming the value of cleanliness, order, spontaneity, fashion, ingenuity, freedom?  Or are you proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through your words and actions?  May we all grow into the image of Jesus Christ more and more everyday, walking in the Spirit, connected to the vine, so that our thoughts, words, and actions might continually lead others to a deeper understanding of and love for the God who saved us while we were still His enemies.

Book Review: "Worship Matters" by Bob Kauflin

Worship Matters (2008) by Bob Kauflin  This is an excellent book that focuses around leading the singing portion of a church service.  The first two sections of the book (The Leader and The Task) are excellent but somewhat slow going at times due to the extremely theoretical nature to them (although Bob mixes many personal stories and experiences into these sections).  The next two sections (Healthy Tensions and Right Relationships) are much more applicational.  I would recommend this book to anyone who takes part in leading singing or is interested in learning more about worship, but for those who are short on time I would HIGHLY recommend simply reading Section 3 - Healthy Tensions.