A Royal Waste of Time

As I am preparing to preach on John 12:1-11 this Sunday my senior pastor gave me this quote to think about from Marva Dawn.

“To worship the Lord is –in the world’s eyes – a waste of time. It is indeed, a 'Royal' waste of time. By engaging in it, we don’t accomplish anything useful in our society’s terms. But Worship ought not to be construed in a utilitarian way. Its purpose is not to gain numbers nor for our churches to be seen as successful. Rather, the entire reason for our worship is that God deserves it. Moreover, it isn’t even useful for earning points with God, for what we do in worship won’t change one whit how God feels about us. We will always still be helpless sinners caught in our endless inability to be what we should be or to make ourselves better – and God will always still be merciful, compassionate, and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and ready to forgive us as we come to him.” - A Royal Waste of Time, Marva Dawn