Every so often, I try to visit others as they gather to worship. I do so because it is good get out of my primary place of worship to worship with others. I have found that I can learn a great deal about people when I see them in their respective worship communities. For most people, church or temple is the place in which they can "be themselves," whatever that term means. It is also good to witness diverse worship styles and services.
Recently, I attended a church's anniversary celebration in the city in which I live. Like my church, the church is within the African Methodist Episcopal communion. On this occasion, the presiding bishop of the episcopate of which the church is connected, was in attendance (he actually was the speaker for the program), as was the bishop of another communion. He happens to also be my presiding bishop as well.
The effort to secure the bishop of an episcopacy within the AME church for a program in our city was not lost on me. In a city where some local churches have two or three bishops in their pulpits, getting a "bishop" to attend a local church function is perhaps easy. However, bishops in the AME communion (or any communion with an episcopal structure) oversee 400-500 churches in various regions and countries. They have unfathomable travel and preaching schedules and are always busy doing Spirit's work.
Securing the attendance of the bishop I am amenable to is particularly notable. While he is accessible to a fault, he is very well liked, has a national profile, and even advises the president on spiritual matters.
What is more, his words, his ministry and his actions--by all accounts--align so that he is not a walking contradiction, but rather the model of a kingdom builder and poor righteous teacher (Five Percenters, let me have this one, just this time).
I will get ribbed for gushing about another man this way, but he gives me goosebumps whenever I hear him speak.
At this church anniversary, I was listening to my bishop speak, I reflected on how many individuals were there simply to see him speak or to wish the church well on their anniversary. I reflected on how careful the bishop was to keep the attention of the audience off him and on Spirit and the scriptures he was exegeting. It was most impressive to witness.
Ultimately, the anniversary made me reflect on the hundreds of thousands of worship services that occur weekly just in this country alone. I have heard many individuals say that they are attending a worship service or church to get "fed" spiritually. Conversely, I have heard many of the same individuals say they have moved from a church or chosen not to participate in a worship service because they are not getting "fed" spiritually.
Is getting fed spiritually the point of worship on Saturdays or Sundays? Is an individual's need to receive encouragement, spiritual nourishment, or a more profound understanding of the scriptures, the point of worship? Is only coming to a worship service if we receive something out of it the point of worship? To be sure, clergy who lead worship will be accountable to Spirit if worship services are not also nourishing for the pew. But, it seems to me that, worship by definition, has very little to do with us getting fed spiritually, but rather paying reverence to God and Spirit.
We can get fed at a potluck or Bible study...
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