Newspaper columnist Lori Bergman told of attending a funeral for her daughter's friend in which the mourners ran the gamut from punk to preppy.  She said the service concluded with a hymn and the teen friends of the deceased held hands while they struggled to mouth the words of the song, "O God, Our Help in Ages Past."  Even in grief the assortment of cultures, genders and generations merged around the lyrics that proclaimed God’s care in the midst of their catastrophe.

More than simply a meeting time, worship is a meeting place - a place where people can come in from the cold of their 21st century lives, with its awful anonymity and self-seeking, into the warmth of God’s presence and the welcome of God’s people. For that defining moment, they long to focus on something other than credit card balances, layoffs, auto repairs and test scores. So, I’d like to suggest the obvious: WORSHIP NEEDS PRAYERFUL PLANNING. The goal of any congregational gathering requires clear identification, and especially in worship settings God’s clear direction is a necessity and the needs of the participants warrant consideration. God is, after all, a God of order. The planets in our solar system didn’t just find the first available parking place. Chaos bowed to a plan. If people are going to come together in worship, they really do need a spiritual parking place. As Paul said, "Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." (I CORINTHIANS 14: 40)

Further, may I remind you that WORSHIP CALLS FOR DILIGENT PREPARATION. Can you imagine Aaron and his Israelite praise team questioning the tabernacle worshippers, "Does anybody have a special they’d like to sing today?" No, Aaron and his associates were leading people into the very presence of Jehovah. Everything was specifically designed and prepared to bring honor to Him. True, we must always be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit at any time and in any place. But often, His leading comes to us as we seek His guidance in the preparation stages of a worship encounter.

And then, as I see it, WORSHIP OUGHT TO BE PLEASANT. By that I mean worship isn’t a time to draw the swords of song style preference, sequence of elements or scripture translations. It’s a time to come together. Worship leaders and planners are required to ask, "How can we enable our people to join hearts as well as voices?" Finally, we must accept that WORSHIP IS, AND RIGHTLY SHOULD BE, POWERFUL. God is in the midst of the praises of His people and, as simple as it sounds, if we don’t acknowledge His presence, we can never say that the sanctuary was really full .... no matter how many are in attendance. I love it when the lights rattle once in a while; when the pew bolts get loose from time to time; and when on occasion we get the power surge we’ve come to expect. Worship is a God thing, and where He walks the heavens thunder and the mountains blow their top! We all come to worship with expectations. The preacher asked the little group on the platform for the children’s sermon what they expected God to do for them. One little fellow raised his hand and stated, "I expect Him to get me out of here by noon!" What do you expect God to do for you, and through you, this week?

Stan Toler is senior pastor of Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  Toler has written more than 40 books, including his best-sellers, God Has Never Failed Me, But He Sure Has Scared Me to Death a Few Times and The Five Star Church.