Playing Church (song), by DianaDee Osborne

PLAYING  CHURCH
ALBUM:      Amazing Holy Spirit 'n' Church

Song location:   http://DianaDeeOsborneSongs.com/Songs-2008-2012.php

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Song Story:  THE  MUSIC:

This was sadly written as I looked around at all the churches "being nice" but 

not really  praying...... 

Doing good works, but barely praying to our LORD.  Unaware that we're really

in a spiritual war, just like Jesus said.  (John 8:44, for example).  

I began with a little poem I remembered as a preschooler, making up a melody for it.

My studio producer added some silly light touches for the sound.  

I thought of another old saying from years ago, talking about working "for all we're worth."

 And, with God's guiding,

We simply began building up the music more and more until it reached a

"Desperation Level"  with the main question:

Why aren't we praying to God for all we're worth?

I MYSELF did NOT plan the sudden final ending to the song.... it "just happened" by God's leading:  "All we're worth"  was,  to God,  the death of His Son on that bloody cross.
Dedicated to our HOLY God, 4 January 2011

LYRICS

1    INTRODUCTION
Here's the church and here's the steeple.
Open the doors and out come the people.
Jesus gave His life for the Church.      
Are we praying or SLEEPING at church?

SPOKEN 1
    Ephesians 5:25b King James Version, “Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it.”  Ephesians 5:25 New Living Translation, “...you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the Church.
He gave up his life for her.”

CHORUS 1 
So why are we churches just PLAYING at church?!
Jesus Himself said to PRAY!
Not just five minutes before meetings in church,
Not just _ praying some bulletin words!
Satan is a lion __ seeking us as his prey! ....
BUT
here we are just PLAYING AT CHURCH.
We should be praying for ALL we're worth...
 Jesus said HIS DEATH ON A CROSS   was what    our church is worth.....
    [SPOKEN 2:   Ephesians 5:25]
Why are we NOT   praying   to God   for all we're worth?CHORUS 2 
So why are we Christians  just PLAYING at church?!
Jesus Himself said to PRAY!
Not running church like a model business, 
NOT depending on _ people for _ finances, but
Using God's _ Gifts _ in His pow'r and  NOT   our  skills. CHORUS 3
So why are we Christians just PLAYING at church?!
Jesus Himself said to PRAY!
NOT making church just a social club,
not making good _ deeds our focus over God,
Luke _ 22:46, Jesus warned us to pray! ...
BUT
here we are just PLAYING AT CHURCH.  We should be praying for ALL we're worth...

CHORUS 4
Christ loved the Church -- GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HER!
Why __ don't we obey Him and PRAY??
Not just five minutes before meetings in church,
Not just _ praying some bulletin words!
  Satan is a lion __ seeking us as his prey! .... BUT
here we are just PLAYING AT CHURCH.  We should be praying for ALL we're worth...

Also on recording:   Song Story
Most churches begin with the wonderful goal of worshiping and serving our Great Lord... but it's SO easy to drift into focusing on efficiency above prayer.  It's so easy to forget that Jesus Himself said that Satan is real, seeking people to tear apart, seeking churches to tear apart.
  This song was built around Luke 22:46.  Just listen to the sorrow in Jesus's voice as He asks  the future leaders of His Church, “WHY DO YOU SLEEP?”  As He tells them to “RISE and PRAY against temptation.”  We cannot truly worship and serve God and share His Good News without  the power of His Holy Spirit.  And we have His Holy Spirit's help ONLY  to the extent that we PRAY and  ASK Him to help.  From God through   Ephesians 3:20 and 21,
    “Now to [GOD] who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we  ASK  or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.” 
        Ephesians 3:20 and 21 --  “all that we ASK”..... = all that we pray. 

END   (traditional hymn by Samuel Stone (words) and Samuel Wesley (music), 1860s,   public domain
The Church's One Foundation is JESUS CHRIST, HER LORD.
She is His new creation, by Water and THE WORD.
From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride.
With Christ's own blood, He bought her, 
and for her life, He died.

God's SUPPORTING WORDS:

“...you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”   -- First Timothy 3:15  NIV 

©2011 DianaDee Osborne (all material), all rights reserved. FREE personal usage; see website.
With thanks to BlueLetterBible.org  for providing God's Word in easy-to-research format.