In part one, I talked about church services that make me want to run rather than worship, and trends that may promote “less discipleship and more one night stands with Jesus.”

On a constructive note—one that respects a diversity of traditions and styles not my own, below are six suggestions specifically for those who influence the weekly worship of others, and four more that apply to all of us.

How churches can help us:

1. Include a confession of sin and assurance of pardon at the beginning of every service. All of us arrive in need of repentance and the assurance of pardon. Every week.  No exceptions.
2. Creatively include an OT and NT reading that are connected to the church calendar or go along with the sermon. For “people of the book,” reading Scripture should be central. This is even more important in a media-driven culture. Further, it is in synch with the priorities that Paul instructed Timothy: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13, ESV).
3. Include congregational readings from the creeds—especially the Apostle’s Creed, which goes back to 150 A.D. Creeds connect us with our ancient roots, and remind us of what we share with Christians from all three branches of Christianity (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant) down through time, and all over the world.
4. Make weekly or regular use of the Lord’s Prayer. It is how Jesus taught us to pray and will always be superior to our extemporary prayers.  When the Lord’s prayer never shows up in our corporate worship, we communicate that we know better than Jesus.
5. Make communion more preeminent and regular so that it is the predominant worship experience. This is one of the easiest ways to make a service more Christ-centered.  Moreover, it is the regular sacrament God gave us, rather than the well-rehearsed jumping jacks of the modern worship experience.
6. Give explanation for wording that is unclear. We don’t need more ambiguous phrases thrown together in mediocre ways.  Even the mantra, “you work all things together for my good” needs explanation.  Without context and commentary, even a precious truth like this is easily associated with the prosperity gospel.

How we can help ourselves and others:

1. Come with an awareness of your pride and tendency to judge the intentions of others. Yes, some worship team members may seem to be living out their fantasy to be a rock musician. Judging hearts, however, is God’s business, not yours. If you see something more clearly than others, it is only because of the grace of God. What do you have that you did not receive?
2. If you are visiting a church, sometimes an experience can seem empty because you do not share the suffering, stories, and relational closeness of regular attenders. As a visitor, you do not sit under the same weekly teaching or know what, for example, a specific phrase might mean to a member who has recently lost a spouse, had a miscarriage, etc.
3. Come to encourage. Who can you pray for?  Who can you speak to, give a hug or smile to?
4. Take responsibility for your heart and connection to God. What word or phrase can you focus on as a prayer? If what is going on around you is distracting, close your eyes and pray in sync with the following:
   • “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you…” (Psa. 139:23-24, NLT)
   • If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” (Psa. 130:3-4, NIV)
   • “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13, ESV)

To all my fellow worshippers, I propose a toast: Here’s to more substance in our style. More venerable experiences and less veneer. More cherished heritage and less candied hubris.  And more patience and humility for all of us while we wait for the day when the “ransomed people [of]…God from every tribe and language and people and nation” will bow together—with one heart and voice—and sing “worthy is the Lamb who was slain.”