"I can't worship on Sunday mornings like I do [at youth gathering]! My mom is there!"

This statement is simultaneously hilarious, sad, and true. Over the last three years, my heart has been blessed by the progress made and depth of worship attained by the students at our youth gathering. The truth is, if there was some sort of meeting scheduled on Thursday night that had some sort of time machine (with or without flux capacitor, I don't want to get technical), that would take our students now back to then(three years ago), we would have quite the discussion afterward.  Granted, most of that discussion would be regarding how cool it was to time travel, and wondering why we didn't make bets on how great the Yankees would do in the World Series in 2009 (world champs), but eventually we would be able to really talk about the differences we noticed.

So what changed?  Hearts changed.  We elevated the Word of God, and more deliberately preached from scripture about what it means to worship.  I remember it well-- we preached a series on "Resisting The Devil," which included a message on the occult and a message on what it means to worship.  The frustrated worship leader had left for another congregation where he felt he be utilized more to God's purpose.  We practiced worshiping scripturally.  We exercised those muscles that caused us to kneel, lay prostrate, and raise our hands.  That month of May, three years ago, saw the first sparks of real Spirit-breathed life in worship from the community of believers who were gathered.

What else happened? There were some kids who attended so intermittently that when they showed up a few weeks later, they were stunned.  They were behind the curve, and they didn't understand what was happening.  Some of them immediately responded to the new, Spiritual and expressive dynamic, but some bucked against that.  They essentially said, "I don't know what's happening, and I don't want to know."  Three years later, and these students still have a chip on their shoulder around their peers.  It was a chip that was there before this watershed experience, but that has persisted, despite the attempts to reach out to them.

And now, so many years later, the younger kids (6th, 7th, 8th) are able to look at the examples of appropriate and passionate worship that the older students are living; examples that those older kids didn't have.  We're building on foundations, and it's exciting! What example are the older students setting at your student ministry? Are they bringing the younger ones up along side them? Are they belittling their efforts? Have they forgotten where they came from (Deut 5:15)?

Before	Now
Like pulling teeth to explain that worship is not just singing songs-- it's about attitude	Able to ignore outside distractions and focus on Jesus
Just singing songs, goofing around	Giving themselves to God in worship
No physical posture of worship	Laying prostrate, raising hands, kneeling
No response to God's revelation	Immediate and obedient responses to God's revelation and prompting
"Worship" meant "Christian Songs"	Worship means the heart and attitude we have when we approach God. Just because it's "Christian-themed" doesn't mean it's worship
Only worship when feeling like it	We worship because God commands it, and his revelation to us requires nothing less
Leaving the same as arrived	Allowing God to transform through worship. Leaving better than arrived.
Only singing songs that are good, or make me feel good, or that I like	Slowly incorporating hymns of our Christian heritage and songs that come from scripture and doctrine-- not just "feel good" songs that you might hear on pop radio.

But Sunday mornings, it's a different story.  The students sit in the front rows of the congregation, but they don't "enter in" to worship like I know they do.  They are oppressed by fear.  I challenged them about this, and the response that came back to me was, "I can't worship on Sunday mornings like I do [at youth gathering]!  My mom is there!"  I don't believe that they're afraid of their parents watching them worship-- I think it's more about the car ride home and the conversations that they are trying to avoid. They seem to want to worship God, but don't want to deal with the embarrassment of being noticed by their parents doing it!

This is the desire to remain anonymous; to avoid attention from parents. If only we could help them realize that most of their parents will be thrilled by seeing such dedication and passion. God would be pleased with their sacrifice and praise. And the example that they set in what they teach, the way they live, their love, their faith, and their purity will free others to worship God as freely (1 Tim 4:12).