Spectatorship

Spectatorship (a blending of “spectator and “worship”) is ruining the worship experience within congregations every week. We live in a society that touts individual expressions of faith. We even hear such thinking make its way into our churches as we speak of our “personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” People start thinking in terms of what 'they' want from church. If they are displeased with their church experience, they do what people do in a free and capitalistic society -- they take their business elsewhere.

It is no surprise that most in churches see worship in the same light. That is why we see such fighting about worship styles because we want to experience worship in ways that most speak to us as an individual. Although we still worship "together", this overly individualistic emphasis remains. We see our own personal worship experience as just that -- personal. What happens in my mind, my spirit, or with my body during worship is my own business and affects only me. But is that accurate? I don't think so.

Unfortunately the Bible continually pictures the church as a unified body who should not be so interested in personal expressions of praise as much as communal expressions. We are linked to one another as the body of Christ in ways we don’t understand or perceive and what we do (or fail to do) has an impact on everyone else.

"If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." - 1 Cor. 12:26 (NRSV)

I’ve read this verse many times, and usually I associate it with life circumstances. But when placed in the context of a worship service, it takes on an all new meaning. When people give themselves to heartfelt worship, not only is it discernable, it is contagious. Yes, but such heartfelt worship is not the only contagious thing found within our corporate gatherings -- apathy, stubborness, and spectatorship are also just as contagious... and deadly to congregational worship. These 'viruses of the soul' are threatening the healthy, corporate, worshipping of God.

When a fellow-believer sits in our worship gathering and chooses to remain apathetic, stubborn, or only a spectator, they are (albeit, unknowingly) exerting an influence into our corporate worship experience and affecting its outcome. Likewise, when all of the believers present are equally surrendered to God and eager to adore Him, this too exerts an influence which will affect the corporate worship experience.

We see it all the time at sporting events. Crowds get taken out of a game and everyone just sits on their hands. But a great play happens, and the people begin to rise and the volume swells as the cheering becomes infectious. This is the picture of worship. Somehow, we all need to recognize that how we live and how we serve and how we worship affects others in the body of Christ in profound ways we may never fully understand. Nonetheless, we must break free from the deceptive notion that worship is a personal enterprise, and we must begin to make choices -- not only during worship gatherings, but in all of life -- that take into account how our choices affect others.