"…we have repurposed the Christian faith in a way that is generically individualistic. We claim that we don't need the church to worship, that we can worship anywhere. We claim that no one can judge us. We claim that our relationship with God is our business alone. We have even taken the process of spiritual development, and narrowed it down to an individualistic activity. The height of Christian maturity, in many American churches, is a consistent quiet time…….
Among conservative evangelicals, there are many who are guilty of this radical individualism in ways that are not readily apparent. Consider, how we regularly judge the success of a worship service. We leave and say things like, 'That was great! I really got fed today!' That sounds mature, and faithful. It sounds like we are prioritizing good biblical teaching, but it is actually in opposition to biblical worship. When we judge the effectiveness of a worship service by what it does for us, we have made ourselves the object of the worship experience. Faithful worship is not measured by how much we are filled up, but rather how much we are emptied and worship is about sacrificing ourselves in our worship of the only God Who is worthy.""
From the book: Leveling the Church: multiplying your Ministry by Giving it Away - By Micah Fries and Jeremy Maxfield
