A Case for Reverence

by Ryan Rench

I heard the youth pastor say, "God, you studly gentleman" in his prayer for our meal. It felt very uncomfortable to refer to the Almighty God and Creator of all as a "studly gentleman," particularly from someone claiming to be a spiritual leader of teens.

People have visited our church and commented, "The services were nice, but we haven't sung those hymns in a long time." Or, "We might have been a little under-dressed."

Casual is all the rage in today's culture, but is it really how church should be? A Case for Reverence is a simple look at why we choose to conduct our services with a more reverent atmosphere than many other churches do today. If God is to be honored, worshiped and revered for who He is, our church services ought to reflect the same reverence.

We are reverent at funerals and other occasions that demand reverence. Is a weekly gathering to worship God less important than any other gathering? We think not. Listen to A Case for Reverence for compelling arguments against the modern church's philosophy to "come as you are." God is worthy of our all, including our comfort levels at church.

Audible Audio

First published September 2, 2013

About the author

Ryan Rench serves as the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Temecula, CA. Ryan’s family moved to Temecula in 1986 to plant the church where Ryan was reared and is now pastor. He earned his master’s degree in ministry from Heartland Baptist Bible College in 2010.
Ryan Rench married his wife, Jamie, in 2008. They have one son named Abe (July 2012) and two daughters: Charlotte (March 2014) and Gwen (February 2016).
Ryan blogs at RyanRench.com and has published several books, including BIBS: Big Idea Bible Study and A Case For Bible College, available from Calvary Baptist Publications (CalvaryBaptist.pub.)