Simple. Why do we sing? Why do we meet on Sundays? Why church? Why Sunday School? From what I hear, when my Dad was a kid, he got like 7 medals for 7 years in a row of perfect Sunday school attendance. But he totally didn't get it - he didn't get what it meant, any of it, until he was 29 years old. So Why come? Is it to win brownie points with your parents? Pastors? Teachers? God? To feel better about yourself? To see that foxy girl that sits in the pew in front of you? To let the person next to you hear you sing? To get emotional about how much God loves us? To feel re:fueled for a new week? Can we think all those things and still sing "it's all about You, Jesus - it's not about Me - Not to us but to Your name be the glory"?

The reason we meet is to give thanks, attention and respect to God; to sing praises to the KING not just by ourselves but with a whole bunch of people who feel the same way! It's not an obligation! God's going to want people to come and join the celebration who are going to be able to truly be thankful! Think about it: you're having a birthday party: and you'd like a ton of people to come - but would you rather have 200 people who don't want to be there or 10 people who can't wait? Come ready!

And sure we can lift up our hands and our eyes, but do we lift up our hearts and our minds too? Do we engage our deepest feelings? (Whether of love or resentment) Do we engage our minds and truly think about the words we allow to leave our mouths, and attempt to focus on the location of our thoughts. Are they on what you're going to order at the Chinese place afterward, or who's going to be the starting QB for the Steelers this season, or is it on what God might be trying to show you right here, right now.

Take that outside of church on Sunday morning - The reason we exist on this earth is to give thanks and praise and honor to our God and king. And I pray that in doing that, I'll bring Him glory: positive attention.

Aaron Shust and his band can be contacted at www.aaronshust.com. His latest CD, Anything Worth Saying, is now available.