Anticipation

Worship requires a certain amount of energy, or all who gather are likely to be put to sleep.  This energy required for real worship to take place is not frantic activity, jumping and dancing, clapping hands or raising them in the air; although, there is nothing wrong with our bodies becoming instruments of praise and worship.  Instead, it seems that there is an energy derived from anticipation.  Worship experiences becomes lifeless not just because the leader is lifeless, but because those who come to be involved as participant come with no real expectation of encountering a living, powerful God who is likely to make Himself known in some surprising and unexpected way.

 

When there is no energy derived from anticipation, worship is mundane and people are in danger of falling out of their pews when asked to close their eyes for prayer.  Actually, mundane worship will cause such to happen when eyes are wide open!   Perhaps, the anticipation begins with the preacher in the pulpit.  Or, maybe it begins with the worship leader who calls the people to gather themselves and their expectations.  What is true is that a lack of anticipation on the part of those who serve through leading is a contagious thing.

 

Sometimes a single person will rise up in such a way as to energize the people with their holy anticipations.  When it happens it is indeed a wonderful thing to behold.  But, like a wave that crashes on the shore line, the moment passes and everyone applauds and goes back to sleep.  Too many worship moments that offer the promise of holy power to those who come die before the clock has time to tick away even the briefest of moments.  Holy power and energy is brought to the worship moment with contagious power only when it has gripped the preacher or the leader or the pew sitter long before the first note of the service sounds.  In it is those quiet moments before the worship begins that the anticipation grows into something that has a life of its own which is always something to share with the people of God.