Don’t Settle for a Veneer of Intimacy with God

Doxology & Theology

Mike Cosper urges worship leaders to crave the real thing—intimacy with God. Quotes: "The power of social media is in its ability to shape our affections." "Think about this self-promoting, media-saturated culture—if it’s remaking us, what is it transforming us into?" "We’re learning to be satisfied with the veneer of something rather than the real thing. Social media is a curated version of your life. You’re able to take the best parts of your life and put it on display for other people to see and to approve. You get to control how you’re seen." "The universal temptation of our age is to be satisfied with the veneer rather than the real thing. For pastors and worship leaders, that means being satisfied with the appearance of joy, intimacy, and passion, rather than the real thing." "Joy, intimacy, and passion for God come from cultivating a deep life with God. What we see on Sunday mornings should be an overflow of that intimacy and not a substitute for it." "Is it enough for us as worship leaders to have Sunday morning as the place where we encounter the presence of God while we leave the rest of our lives untouched?" “I assure you, if you love the veneer, then ministry will ultimately destroy you. I also assure you, if you’re tired and burned out and worn out on religion, if you’re feeling fake on Sunday mornings, if you’re feeling like a hypocrite, if you’re frustrated with ministry and tired of people not getting it, then almost certainly part of the issue is that you haven’t carved out the space for intimacy with God.” "Don’t be satisfied with the veneer of Sunday mornings that go well. Crave the real thing, and let your ministry be an overflow.”