Sunday Best

I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

– John 17:23

Maybe you grew up attending a traditional church. That might have meant getting up early on Sunday mornings, eating breakfast with the family and then rushing to put on your Sunday best — those clothes and shoes you only wore to church and on special occasions. Then it was time to get in the car, drive to the service and listen to the preacher, choir and organist do their things.

Millions of people feel closer to God in such a classic church setting — one often characterized by stained glass windows, choirs, sanctuaries and sacred organ music. And wearing one's Sunday best is to them yet another way to set apart the day and glorify God.

Other Christ-followers have a different perspective. Meeting in

diverse locations ranging from storefronts to movie theaters — and over the last few weeks, online — some contend that the formalities of a traditional church service can hinder authentic worship. Rather than the traditionalists "being themselves" on Sunday mornings, these critics suggest that there are many who wear a special suit of clothes on one particular day of the week while actually looking and living quite differently on the other six.

Regardless of your worship style preference, there's no doubt that every Christ-follower must avoid the trap of praising God with their lips rather than through their lifestyle. Yes, an awe-inspiring church sanctuary can be a place of prayer and celebration. But so are the workplace, gym and supermarket. What's more, the Bible tells us that worship is what God uses to rebuild and unite his scattered people. So wherever we go each day, our place of worship should follow.

What type of worship does God honor? 

Among other things, it generally consists of singing praise songs, teaching God's lessons through the Bible, and acknowledging how he blesses our lives through the revelation of his son, Jesus Christ. We also ask for forgiveness for how we’ve fallen short of our Creator’s standards for living, and we celebrate Christ’s resurrection on our behalf through that symbolic meal called Communion, or The Lord’s Supper. And it doesn’t end there. Outside of the weekly service, we also must worship God in unity by being Jesus' hands, feet and eyes in our community. We should likewise do our 9:00 AM–5:00 PM jobs as if God — rather than a human supervisor — were our boss.

Christ-followers might not agree on every aspect of worship, but there is one thing that should always make us one: Christ himself.

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” the apostle Paul writes in his Letter to the Ephesians. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Let’s make that our best each Sunday, and on the other six days as well.