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Visiting Churches

More Youthful Worship (Visiting Church #27)

We arrive at church about ten minutes early, and after milling about for a while, we sit down.

A mostly youthful praise team assembles on the stage to worship God, which is a mere eight inches high; the low ceiling allows for little more. In addition to three who play guitar, there’s one on bass, a drummer, and two backup vocalists.

The lead vocalist is also one of the guitarists. They’re accomplished but without a showy polish. They play and sing with energy and are some of the best we’ve experienced.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

Worship God

We’re encouraged to worship God any way we wish, be it to dance, raise our arms, kneel, or even prostrate ourselves. For the second time in the last two weeks, a young child sings loudly and off-key but with unabashed enthusiasm.

I love it and hope no one ever squashes his zeal of singing to God.

The three-song set lasts for about thirty minutes. Although lyrically repetitious, it’s also a visual worship experience. Many dance, some in the aisle and a few in front of the stage.

Theirs is an exuberant expression of joy, which I vicariously experience.

One of the backup vocalist, perhaps in middle school, jumps and dances with abandon as she sings, full of energy and passion and joy.

With an occasional arm raised heavenward and an effervescent smile of delight, she often looks up as she praises God.

It’s as if she sees Jesus and is smiling at him. Her angelic face ushers me into the presence of God. It’s a beautiful thing.

Following this is a time of testimony, prayer, and then preaching. The service ends and we head home, remembering this group of amazing young people who showed us how to worship God in spirit and in truth ( John 4:24).

[Read about Church #26 and Church #28, start at the beginning of our journey, or learn more about Church #27.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Visiting Churches

A Time of Pure Worship (Visiting Church #24)

The church we visited on Sunday is a mostly older congregation. The worship team, however, is comprised of teens. What a pleasant surprise. Three play guitars, with one on percussion.

Offstage is a pianist, the church’s worship leader and the only non-teen of the ensemble.

There are several vocalists, with two who sing and play. The church’s hymnals and the pipe organ go unused the entire service.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

The teens lead us in modern worship songs and choruses; we sing as the words are displayed overhead. Accomplished, without being assuming, their sound is a safe contemporary and most conducive for worship.

I’m drawn to them and they point me to God. It’s a wondrous time. I stand there, in awe of the moment, so taken that I sometimes forget to sing.

Though this music is not my preferred choice, I find it compelling. They play and sing with joy; their worship is pure. They bring me into God’s presence.

This group is good at what they do, but if they’re aware of it, they don’t show it. They’re confident and poised, without calling attention to themselves. Praising God is their focus.

This is unexpected, an anomaly inserted into a more traditional order of worship. Afterwards we learn that most of these teens don’t attend this church, but were invited in for the day.

Ironically, it’s what I enjoyed most about the service.

[Read about Church #23 and Church #25, start at the beginning of our journey, or learn more about Church #24.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

The Significance of Synagogues

Discover the Origin of Having a Local Place of Worship

Another interesting word that occurs only in the New Testament is synagogues. Appearing sixty-six times, it’s in all four gospels, a lot in the book of Acts, and twice in Revelation. That’s it. Notably the word synagogue does not appear in the Old Testament.

Where did it come from? Why did something nonexistent in the Old Testament become a place of prominence in the New?

The Old Way

In the Old Testament God establishes the tabernacle and later the temple as the only place to worship him. It’s a center of their national religion: one place for the whole nation.

To encounter God, the people go to the temple, which they believe is his earthly residence.

The New Way

In the New Testament, the temple still exists as the national destination for religious celebration, but local synagogues also exist. It seems there’s one in every city that has a Jewish population.

The people meet at their local synagogue on the Sabbath.

On Paul’s missionary journeys, he often first goes to the synagogue to talk to the Jews in that area. If they don’t accept his message, then he goes to secular locations to talk to the Gentiles.

The Transition to Synagogues

The Bible doesn’t explain why they’re synagogues in the New Testament. Nor does it explain the shift of emphasis, which makes each synagogue a local gathering place for Jewish worship.

However, history does provide an explanation. Babylon conquers Judah and forcibly relocates the people. They can’t go to their temple anymore. It’s too far away. In its stead they establish a local meeting place in each city they find themselves in.

This becomes the focal point of the Jewish community: a synagogue in each city.

When they receive permission to return to Judah seventy years later, they take this idea of having a local meeting place with them. When they get back, they go about building synagogues in each city. And they meet there each week on the Sabbath.

God’s Commands

God never commanded his people to build a local place of worship in each city. Of course, he never prohibited it either. What he did command is a central place of worship for the nation, the temple.

Though I’m still looking for it, I’ve not found any place in the Bible where God commands his people to worship him on the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath.

What he does say about the Sabbath is that we are to keep it holy and not do any work (Exodus 20:8-9).

I don’t see anywhere where he says we need to go to church. Instead, this practice seems to have emerged as a manmade tradition.

Though the temple was a place of worship, it was for various festivals and celebrations that God established. Indeed, going to the temple each Sabbath would pose a hardship on most people who would have to travel long distances to get there.

Though God’s people built synagogues and went there each Sabbath, it wasn’t his idea. He gave no command for them to do so.

Today this tradition persists. We build local houses of worship and go there each week to worship God. I wonder if we should instead focus on God’s command to honor him by keeping the Sabbath holy and not doing any work.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Visiting Churches

No Language Barrier (Visiting Church #20)

There’s a Mandarin service followed by one in English;. We attend both. The worship team leads us. The words to the song are displayed in Mandarin and have the English translation underneath.

They sing and I listen to voices of a different tongue. God’s presence engulfs me.

When others raise their hands, I wonder if I should too, even though I don’t understand the specific reason why. It’s a question I can’t answer.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

A prayer follows. I comprehend not one word until “Amen.” Next is the scripture text, read in unison. The woman in front of me has a parallel bilingual Bible, so I know they’re reading Exodus 19 or 20.

Later, the projector displays “20:3-17” surrounded by Chinese characters. I turn to Exodus 20:3-17 and see the Ten Commandments.

The minister is a dynamic speaker, animated, and at times joking. I find myself laughing too, even though I don’t know what’s funny. Laughter is contagious, a universal language.

I don’t expect to understand the message, but I do expect the Holy Spirit to speak to me. He doesn’t—or perhaps he did and I missed it. I know the sermon is over when I hear “Amen.”

We sing the “Doxology.” The tune is familiar, but the words are Mandarin. I consider their English equivalents as others sing. The service concludes with the “Threefold Amen.” This time I can join in.

The second service uses a different song set, but the scripture and sermon are the same, albeit in English.

They invite us to stay for lunch, something they do every Sunday. “Sharing a meal is important to us,” one lady explains. We gratefully accept and sit down to eat, making new connections as we enjoy the food.

Today is a great day at church. Although our only language is not their primary one, we manage just fine.

[Read about Church #19 and Church #21, start at the beginning of our journey, or learn more about Church #20.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Why I Don’t Dress Up for Church Anymore

May My Clothes Never Keep a Visitor from Encountering God

My parents, especially my mom, taught me to dress up for church. That’s what people did when I was a kid, and I didn’t question it—even though I’m still looking for a biblical command to do so.

Never mind that I’m sure my parents spent money they couldn’t afford to spend so I could look my best.

Dress Up for Church

Into adulthood, I faithfully followed this practice, even more so when I ushered. One Sunday, wearing my best suit and a fashionable silk tie, I stood at my station with bulletins in hand and my most inviting smile beaming from my face.

In walked a visitor. This was good news. We didn’t have many of them. College-aged, his casual attire consisted of torn jeans, wrinkled t-shirt, and tennis shoes. He carried a wide smile. I instantly liked him. We made eye contact.

When he saw a friendly face, his smile brightened, and he walked toward me with intention.

Then he glanced down, scanning what I was wearing. Taking in my three-piece suit and freshly polished black leather shoes, his pace slowed. He looked left and then right. Seeing no one else dressed like him, he made an abrupt U-turn and left.

I should have followed him and assured him that he didn’t have to dress up for church, that clothes didn’t matter. Instead, I took no action, feeling duty-bound to remain at my post.

Indeed, had I abandoned my assignment to talk to him, surely someone would have complained that I was shirking my duty. In that instance, continuing to do my job as usher seemed the right thing to do. But it wasn’t.

Though it may have been the right thing for the people of the church who expected someone to greet them, hand them a bulletin, and seat them, it was the wrong thing to do for a visitor who panicked and left.

I still regret my decision. It haunts me to this day.

Don’t Dress Up for Church

That was the last Sunday I dressed up for church.

If my clothes challenge conventions, I prefer offending those inside my community, not those outside it.

May my clothes never be an obstacle for a church visitor feeling comfortable or faith seeker from encountering God. I never again wore a suit to church—ever.

Though for a while I condescended to wear a tie for special occasions, I soon dismissed neckwear as well. This helped better ensure that my appearance would never be a barrier to visitors and unchurched folk.

Now, when I dress up for church, it’s pulling on a new pair of jeans. Usually I don’t even bother to do that.

I worship God by what I wear on Sunday morning. He doesn’t want me to dress up for church. He wants me to worship him. And one way to do that is being approachable for visitors.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Bible Insights

Do You Hear From God?

Under Holy Spirit Inspiration Simeon and Anna Affirm Jesus When He Is a Baby

Shortly after Jesus is born his parents take him to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to God and go through the purification rites as prescribed by Moses.

As they do so, they receive two startling surprises from what others say about Jesus. They know how to hear from God.

Simeon

First is Simeon, a godly man full of the Holy Spirit. He lives in expectation of the promised savior. God assures Simeon he will live long enough to witness the coming Messiah.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit Simeon goes to the temple, takes Jesus in his arms, and praises God for what Jesus will do.

Anna

Next is Anna, an elderly woman and prophetess. A devote widow, she spends her time worshiping God. She walks up and thanks God for Jesus, confirming he is the fulfillment of prophecy.

We Can Hear from God

Note that neither Simeon nor Anna are part of the religious elite. They lack the pedigree and the man-made credentials to do what they did.

But they do have Holy Spirit wisdom, and that’s all that God needs in order to use them—and us—to accomplish his purposes

There’s no special training or insider connections, just people who put God first and focus on him. The Holy Spirit will guide us.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 1-3 and today’s post is on Luke 2:22-40.]

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Bible Insights

When Is the Right Time to Close a Church?

Churches Close for Tangible Problems, But Maybe Some Should Close for Spiritual Reasons

In the book of Malachi, God laments about his people. Specifically he’s down on the priests because they show contempt for him. Their worship is so off-track that God wishes one of the priests would just shut the temple doors.

This would at least keep them from lighting useless fires on his alter, from having useless worship. He’s so frustrated with them that he won’t accept their sacrifices anyway.

So why bother? Just close the temple. This is a shocking thought, a seeming heretical idea.

Churches Close Every Day

We hear of churches closing all the time. It’s usually due to one of two things. Often it’s for a lack of funds—because the people left aren’t giving enough to keep the church’s doors open.

The other reason churches close is a lack of people—for too many have left.

Generally these two items are tied to one another. Attendance drops, and then giving drops. Programs get cut, and attendance drops more. This continues in a downward spiral.

Eventually there aren’t enough people left to do the work and not enough money to pay the bills. Shutting down is the only option.

Spiritually Dead Churches Should Close Too

I’ve never heard of a church closing because they lost their way spiritually, because their worship has become offensive to God. Yet I wonder if this spiritual malady isn’t just as common—perhaps even more so.

That their reason for gathering together each week is too off track from what God yearns for.

I wonder if God grows sick of these misled congregations and wishes they would just close their doors.

These spiritually impotent churches are just as dead—perhaps even more so—as the ones who no longer have enough people or money to continue.

Shutdown Institutional Churches

Most churches (and especially denominations) become institutions over time. As institutions they seek to perpetuate themselves regardless of the circumstances.

In their struggle for survival, they lose sight of why they existed in the first place.

Instead of seeking to serve their community and offer salvation through Jesus, their focus grows inward. Their priority is on self-preservation at all costs.

Malachi Speaks to Us Today

Some would argue that God’s words through his prophet Malachi apply only to the priests and to the temple of his day. This is an Old Testament thing. Projecting them on today’s church is taking the text out of context. Perhaps.

But if we can’t learn from the Old Testament, why bother to read it?

In an appropriate application, Malachi’s words to shut the doors of the temple are a warning that we should take seriously today.

When our churches and their service become spiritually dead, God may want us to close our doors and not further profane his reputation.

Before you assume I’m talking about someone else’s church, take a serious look at your own. Is it time to close church?

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Malachi 1-4, and today’s post is on Malachi 1:10.]

Learn more about all twelve of the Bible’s Minor Prophets in Peter’s book, Return to Me: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope from the Minor Prophets

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

How Often Do You Have Meaningful Spiritual Conversations?

Be Intentional about Discussing Faith and Avoid Superficial Chatter

After Jesus’s death and him overcoming death, he appears on the street headed to the city of Emmaus, traveling with two of his followers. But they don’t recognize him.

He talks to them about God, the Scriptures, and faith. When they eventually realize who he is, he disappears.

Then they recall how their hearts burned when he talked to them (Luke 24:13-32).

They had a meaningful spiritual conversation.

Yes, any exchange we might have with God would be a meaningful spiritual conversation, but we can have meaningful spiritual conversations with each other too.

What is a Meaningful Spiritual Conversation?

It’s hard to define what makes a conversation both spiritual and meaningful. Yet when we encounter one, we know it. This is a result of intentional action to make our words count, celebrating Jesus and inspiring one another.

It’s bypassing those easy comments about family, work, sports, and weather. It’s skipping trivial exchanges to embrace a dialogue of purpose.

It takes work to accomplish, but it’s worth the effort. Here are some of the results that occur when we have meaningful spiritual conversations.

Meaningful Spiritual Conversations Connect Us with Each Other

Talking with one another connects us. Having insignificant discussions results in insignificant connections. Having deep conversations results in deep connections. May we always be intentional with our words.

Meaningful Spiritual Conversations Encourage Us in Our Faith

Paul writes that we are to encourage one another (2 Corinthians 13:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, and 1 Thessalonians 5:11, as well as Hebrews 3:13). We encourage each other through our words.

For our encouragement to have the deepest impact, it must be both meaningful and spiritual.

These conversations build us up in our faith and inspire us as we walk with Jesus.

Meaningful Spiritual Conversations Point Us to God

When we have these meaningful and spiritual exchanges, we point people to God. This may be directly or indirectly, but it is intentional. When we’re with people who share our faith and our passion, we want our conversation to match that.

As our meaningful, spiritual dialogue connects us with each other and encourages one another, it automatically directs our focus to God.

Meaningful Spiritual Conversations Are a Form of Worship

Last, these intentional conversations allow us to worship God. In the Bible, John tells us to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

I’ll likely spend the rest of my life trying to unpack all that this entails, but I’m quite sure that one aspect of worshiping God in spirit and truth occurs when we have conversations with others of a meaningful, spiritual nature.

May we never lose sight of this.

May we seek meaningful spiritual conversations with others every day.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Christian Living

Why Do People Show Up Late for Church?

The Timing of When People Arrive at Church Reflects Their Priorities

When my wife and I went on our grand adventure of visiting fifty-two churches in a year, we decided we’d try to arrive at church ten minutes early.

In doing so we would avoid breezing in at the last-minute, and we would have time for possible connection with other people before the service. (Sometimes we had wonderful conversations and other times it was an awkward ordeal.)

Three Times When People Arrive at Church

This also gave us an opportunity to observe when other people arrived at church.

1. Arrive Early: For a few churches most everyone arrived early. They sat in respectful anticipation of what was to come, reverently waiting for the service to begin.

2. Arrive Right on Time: At other churches many people timed their arrival with the starting time of the church service, not a minute earlier and not a minute later. They arrived right on time.

At some of these places, the people were in the facility early, trying to squeeze in some pre-church activity, but not yet seated in the church sanctuary. In other places, they rushed in at the last moment.

3 Arrive Late: Yet at too many churches, the starting time seemed more like a guideline. At these churches over half the congregation showed up after the service had started.

They arrived late. Sometimes this was understandable since the service didn’t start on time either.

The church had conditioned people to arrive late, because the service started late.

However, even for those services that started on time, the practice of people arriving during the singing of the first, and even the second and third songs, alarmed me.

When Do You Arrive at Church?

Yes, I understand that sometimes things come up to keep us from getting to church on time. This is most pronounced for those with young children in tow. I remember those days well.

Other times we may oversleep, not get around as fast as we’d like, or encounter delays on the drive to church. Yet these things should be rare, not common.

For people who habitually arrive at church late, I wonder if it doesn’t reveal a bit of their heart. That God isn’t important enough for them to show up early in anticipation of what he’ll do.

That church attendance is one more thing to squeeze into an already-too-busy schedule, so they can check it off there to do list.

Late arrivers at church disrespect God and distract other worshipers.

Arrive at church early, arrive at church in expectation, and arrive at church prepared to worship.

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Bible Insights

Women in the Bible: Anna

Anna is widowed after only seven years of marriage. A devout woman, she dedicates her life to God, spending as much time as possible in the temple fasting, praying, and worshiping him.

Anna is at least eighty-four years old when Mary and Joseph show up to consecrate Jesus. First, she recognizes him as the savior who the people have been expecting for centuries.

Then she thanks God she lived long enough to see Jesus and then tells everyone about him.

After a lifetime of devotion to God, he rewards her by allowing to to see Jesus. How many other people were likewise as devout, but never got to see him?

God calls us to focus on him, but we may not receive any reward for our loyalty during our lifetime. Will we be faithful anyway?

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Luke 1-3, and today’s post is on Luke 2:36-38.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.