Today we look at the 3d chp in Jon Wilson’s book, Why Church Matters. This chp concerns how we know when our worship is pleasing to God. Both pastors and lay leaders, along with any Christian who wonders about “good” worship, can profit from this chp. I begin with this excellent point:
“… we are not to evaluate worship by whether or not we liked it. We are not the audience to be pleased and entertained in worship. Rather, God is the audience …” (36). But, that raises this question: How do we know when we have offered acceptable worship to God? What do you think?

Jon Wilson says it has to do with three words: the true, the good, and the beautiful.
The true is the worship of the one true God; the opposite is idolatry. And he explores our own idolatries — whenever we offer ourselves to anyone or anything other than God.
The good is the worship of God from a life of goodness, love, and holiness; the opposite is immorality. And once again he explores our own immoralities. That is, if we offer to God worship in a world that is unjust, we cannot but repent from the world out of which we offer our worship.
The beautiful is the worship of out of our best; the opposite is unbeautiful worship — when we don’t offer God our best, when we don’t let the whole of the Church participate, when we don’t let the gifts God has given to the Church be converted into worship. God cares about beauty.
I like this chp: I haven’t thought enough about worship being the true, the good and the beautiful.
The question for worship is not Did I like it? but, Is it true to God’s character and will? Does it transform us by God’s grace? Is God getting our best?