The Coffee Shop

Because I love coffee, I naturally also love coffee shops. But I have discovered that each coffee shop has its own system of operation, and woe betide you if you do not follow the system of the coffee shop you are currently visiting.
 
In one you order at the counter and then find a table; in another you find a table and then order at the counter. In one you carry your own tray of coffee to your table; in another a member of staff brings it to the table. In one the cutlery and sugar are adjacent to where you placed your order; in another they are already on your table. Once you have finished, in one you pay at the table; in another you go to the counter to pay. In one they accept cash and cards; in another they only accept cards. But what is important of course in all these places is that you are provided with a well-made cup of coffee.
 
Similarly, there are different approaches to worship in different churches. In some churches the worship is liturgical, that is it is based on an order of service in a Prayer Book, which sometimes dates back hundreds of years. In others the order of service is what has been called “a hymn sandwich”, that is it consists of hymns interspersed with prayers, Bible readings and a sermon. In others the worship is charismatic, that is the members of the congregation raise their hands during the worship songs, and there may be speaking in tongues, prophecies and prayers for healing. Over the years I have experienced all these kinds of worship, and what is important is that whatever the style, the worship is reverent and well-conducted.
 
What then is a well-conducted service? It is one in which there is an overall theme which is reflected in the music, the readings and the prayers, and the preaching is biblically based and is illustrated from and applied to everyday life today. The blessing of such a service is that it enables God’s people to go out afterwards equipped to live as Christians in the demanding real world.
Howard Gordon