I have a small point to address: Consider replacing “effort” (used in “effort does not matter) with “method” as that seems to be the point you are making. The passage in Matthew 25 ends with the master rebuking the 3rd servant saying in verse 26: “You wicked, lazy servant!”. It seems this servant had a lot of character weaknesses including a distrust for his master in addition to being lazy/lacking effort. Certainly the amount of effort each of us are capable of will differ based on the ability that God has given us (the mater gave each of the servants a different amount to be responsible for), but He knows who is really trying to please Him and whether or not we are withholding something.

A great example of God being flexible with our method of obeying him is at the end of Matthew 28. Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” and yet doesn’t lay out how exactly the do that. He lived with the disciples and showed many ways to do it, yet cultures change over time and Jesus’ command is timeless. It isn’t addressed how we should exactly obey that – only that we need to and scripture gives us enough to start with. God knows if we are trying to obey him or not. A good measure of self is to ask: “In this thing, am I loving God with all of my heart, soul mind and strength?”

When I grew up giving your best meant wearing your best clothes. The spiritual impact of the mind-set was quantifiable, as it contributed to the sense that churches were an exclusive placed with some fairly strict, unwritten social rules. This demonstrates the weakness of what you are proposing, a focus on excellence in the material realm in the name of honoring Jesus is not excellence in the things of His spirit.

There is nothing wrong with spending money you have on a good sound system, but when we see having that ability and the ownership that results as justified in our attempts to exude a particular quality about ourselves and our group, the focus is clearly no longer about Jesus. It has become about us and our abilities. A proud man can offer words of praise to God for that over which he is proud, and God will still resist him.

Dan,

I can totally understand your concern. Unfortunately, we sometimes forget WHO we are worshiping while we focus on WHAT we offer for worship.

However, I do not believe that the pursuit of excellence in our offering of our best to God in all that we do, not just in worship, is “nonsense”.

In fact, I’m not quite sure what you’re suggesting as an alternative to the pursuit of excellence. And I don’t mean the rhetoric like “recognize who we are worshipping” or “seek His face” etc. We’re talking methods here.

Is there any particular objection you have to doing music the best we can? If it’s rock, then do rock the best we can. If it’s classical, then do classical the best that you can.

My personal objection to many churches is that the members will spend 10 hours preparing a report for work, then have a half-hour choir practice or band practice. Where are the priorities?

I hope you’ll come back and elaborate for us. I don’t believe you are calling for us to avoid excellence, but I’m not really sure what you are saying either. Let us know

I liken it to the parable Jesus told about the widow who gave all she had (though a small amount) and the rich man who gave a small percentage of what he had (though a large amount). God views the widow’s small amount as the authentic act of worship because she gave it all.

I think Nathan’s point is that so very often in the church we give our best to the world and then bring God the scraps. I think it’s appropriate that when we are singing (or playing, working, parenting, etc) in the court of the King that we would desire to sing the best we can because we want Him to get our best offering.

However, I do agree that there is also another part of the modern church that has put excellence and professionalism onto a pedestal and labeled it worship. In my view, they are as wrong as the “God doesn’t care” crowd.

Really, I think it comes down to how a person’s (or local church’s) theology of God in terms of His imminence (closeness, intimacy, grace) and transcendence (otherness, holiness, justice). But, I’ve drolled on too long…

I’ve seen to much of both to not pitch my tent dead center of them. Thanks for the props, I need that sometimes!