What I learned about Christian worship from network TV

Many friends tell me they watch West Wing because it has compelling scenes and dialogue as they relate to faith, politics, and life together.

Recently I heard some dialogue from this relatively successful show (from what I am told) in which the acting seemed force and the people acting seemed tired and inauthentic. For the most part, these actors and actresses usually deliver the lines well - lines usually prepared by someone else. While the scene may not be an all out success, the seeming tiredness or disingenuous of actors and actresses in a scene or two doesn't diminish the overall success of the story itself or the show as a whole. The actors and actresses don’t give up on the show or their participation in the show. They press on.

I want things to go well in worship. I want things to be authentic, which might mean a little messy, and I am okay when that happens. I struggle to find joy in worship gatherings when the prayers sound rehearsed, the singing tired, and my sermon feels flat. Yet I need to remember our worship occurs within the context of an epic storyline. Sometimes flatness and tiredness occur in our lives, yet those things do not alter the course of the storyline away from God's redeeming love. My performance (or lack thereof) do not alter grace and hope and joy and peace. Rather than give up, I need to press on and trust that somehow the narrative arc of God’s love and redemption still continues.