“Holly, what have you got in your hands?”

“It’s a bouquet of fwowers for Mama. She likes yeh-wow fwowers. She’s gonna love deese,” my niece exclaims, triumphantly raising grimy, little hands to my face so I can get a better look at her crumpled and wilted treasure.

In disgust, I turn my face, and push her hands away, “No, those are worthless weeds and your Mama is going to throw them away.”

Are you horrified by my response? You should be! No one should ever speak so cruelly to a small child. Yet, sometimes we look upon the gifts that others bring to the Lord with equal disdain.

Every aspect of our Worship Service is an expression of adoration to the One who made our worship possible. When we assemble to worship we each bring a variety of love languages, talents, and spiritual maturity. It is a potluck of gifts brought to lay on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. How could anyone look on someone else’s sacrifice as if it is worthless weeds?

At a Thanksgiving potluck, no one ever samples some of everything, though some of us might try. Why do we discriminate? Because, not everything on the table is pleasant to every palate. Very few people would be excited about the liver and cabbage pȃté, but no one would point at it and loudly exclaim, “Nasty! Who brought that!?!”  Why? Because we care about each other and we don’t want to offend the person who brought such a delight.

Yet, this is exactly what we do when we complain about the worship styles of other people.

Let’s think about it another way. Holly picked dandelions to give to someone she loves. Each person who brings something to Thanksgiving dinner has chosen that dish because it pleases someone they love. Is it any different in our worship services? Don’t each of us bring something into the sanctuary as a gift to Someone we love? Who is that Someone? I don’t have the right to judge the worth of the love-gift my brother or sister brings to the Lord.

Next time something at church isn’t as we think it should be, let’s practice some different thinking. Let’s try loving the one who brings the sacrifice. Love him so much that we don’t see the imperfections of his gift. If that’s not enough, then let’s love the One for whom the gift was brought.

How do you think my sister received Holly’s crushed weeds?

“Oh Holly, these are beautiful! You chose yellow, my favorite! Here, I have just the perfect place for these!” Then my sister lovingly brings out the best crystal vase, fills it with water, and sets Holly’s dandelions in the place of highest honor: they are the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving feast.

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43–44 (ESV)

— kym satterwhite