An empty church

A grand church with impressive music and singing. It wasn't a regular service, and it's fine to use the church as a venue, but it amazes me how empty a church can feel. An empty shell, when the focus is on tradition, architectural grandeur and artistic value instead of meditating on God's splendour. Far from a heart of worship:

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:23-24

And I wondered as the choir and congregation sang hymns declaring "heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory", do you really believe that? I wondered, is it disrespectful to God to offer songs of praise lightly when your mind is turned away from him? Certainly it was wrong for the Israelites to offer blemished sacrifices and complete temple duties with an insincere heart. God told them to stop.

“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty. - Malachi 1:10-11

On a similar note to singing hymns when you don't want to know God, a few weeks ago we discussing why families have weddings and funerals held at churches, for people who are (or were) never interested in God.