Echoes of Eden #53

When Worship Becomes a Commodity

In a world obsessed with speed and efficiency, even our worship has become streamlined. We now serve God like we order coffee: quick, custom, and made to suit our taste. But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does not accept worship manufactured in a hurry, nor does He bow to modern trends.

The altar used to be a sacred place — a place of sacrifice, fire, and reverence. But today, many have replaced the altar with a stage, and the offering with entertainment. We’ve traded incense for incense burners, glory for graphics, and repentance for relevance.

God is not looking for a “show.” He is looking for surrender.

In 1 Kings 18, the prophets of Baal danced, shouted, and bled, but their god remained silent. Elijah, however, rebuilt the altar of the Lord that had been torn down — stone by stone — and poured water over the sacrifice to make it unmistakably impossible without divine intervention. When the fire fell from heaven, it wasn’t because of theatrics. It was because the altar was God’s, and the offering was real.

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.”

— 1 Kings 18:38 (NKJV)

We cry out for revival, but offer no repentance. We want transformation, but without tearing down the idols of convenience and comfort. We want the fire of God, but not the cost of building an altar.

Worship has become a commodity instead of a covenant.

This is Cain and Abel all over again. Cain brought God what he wanted to give. Abel brought what God had asked for. One offering was rejected, the other accepted — not because of its size, but because of its heart.

“To obey is better than sacrifice.”

— 1 Samuel 15:22

What are we offering the Lord today? A playlist? A sermon clip? A half-hearted moment of silence during worship before checking our phone again? Or are we truly laying down our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)?

The altar is not a place for spectators. It is a place for dying — to pride, ego, sin, and comfort. But from that death comes something holy. Something heaven recognizes. Something that still calls down fire.

Prayer

Lord, teach us to rebuild Your altar — not for performance, but for presence. Burn away the things we’ve added that You never asked for. Let our worship be pure, costly, and pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.