You'd Better Bring Your A-Game

Last Sunday was our church's annual Christmas Program.  Yes, that is the biggest reason I'm just now getting around to posting something this month!  It also happens to be the latest addition to my file of proof that a bad dress rehearsal leads to a good performance.  In this case, a terrible dress rehearsal led to a great performance… but not without a little intervention.

In a bit of "good cop, bad cop," the producer (me) gave our teenage cast a pep talk… right after the director (not me) read them the riot act.  Despite our contrast in styles, the message was clear and singular: "Tomorrow is the real thing.  You'd better bring your A-game."  And they did, but that's another story.

My point is that, for a few moments on Saturday, I felt like the prophet Malachi.  At the time of his ministry, Israel had fallen into the habit of giving God less than their best in worship.  "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD.  "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord." (Mal 1:13-14)

Now I'm not one to say that unless it's Broadway, Hollywood or Nashville, it's not good enough for God.  You work with who and what the Lord provides.  But I do take pretty seriously biblical admonitions like, "Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise." (Psa 33:3)  (BTW, that's the KJV… did you notice it says "LOUD"?)  God deserves our very best, whether that's music, finances, teaching or just living like true followers of Jesus.

And He takes it seriously, too.  "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands." (Mal 1:10)  The thought that God would rather everyone stay home on a Sunday morning than show up to offer halfhearted worship is rather sobering.  I wonder if He's ever said that about my church?  about my ministry?  about me?

Reading on into chapter two doesn't exactly relieve the pressure as Malachi goes all bad cop on the priests.  "If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you." (Mal 2:2)  The tone of worship is set by the leaders of worship, and people rarely rise above the level to which they are led.  So let's set the bar high.  Let's set our hearts to honor His name.  Let's bring Him the best we have to offer.  Simply put, let's bring our A-game to church!