Fadhili Elly

Let’s stop pretending. The church today is drowning in performance, and the evidence is everywhere—choirs dressed in perfect robes, praise and worship teams in coordinated outfits, and ushers in their well-pressed uniforms. Everything looks flawless. But beneath the polished image is a bitter truth: most are more concerned about how they look than how they live.

If only their hearts and spirits were as uniform as their attires, maybe then we would have true worship in church. But right now, what we have is a well-dressed parade of pretense.

Choirs: Perfect Harmony, Rotten Hearts

Week after week, church choirs rehearse tirelessly. They nail the high notes, they perfect the harmonies, and they put on grand performances. But let’s be real—how many of them actually live what they sing? How many truly worship, and how many are just there for attention?

• Some fight over who gets to lead the song, not because they want to glorify God, but because they crave the spotlight.
• Some pretend to be united during service but stab each other in the back the moment they step outside.
• Some live double lives—holy on Sunday, reckless the rest of the week.

What a joke! Singing about God with a heart full of jealousy, pride, and bitterness is not worship—it’s hypocrisy. Jesus Himself said it: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8). And yet, Sunday after Sunday, churches are filled with voices in harmony but hearts in discord.

Praise and Worship Teams: Leading Worship or Seeking Fame?

Today’s praise and worship teams are less about leading people into God’s presence and more about putting on a show. It’s no longer about worship—it’s about who sings best, who has the most powerful voice, who gets the loudest cheers.

• Some treat worship like a personal concert, performing for attention instead of exalting God.
• Some manipulate emotions with dramatic cries and staged passion, making worship more about theatrics than true connection with God.
• Some crave social media validation, posting videos of their “anointed” moments, not to glorify God, but to gain followers.

Let’s be clear: worship is not about impressing people—it’s about surrendering to God. Yet, many so-called worship leaders have turned it into a competition for popularity. And the worst part? The congregation cheers them on, feeding the illusion that performance equals anointing.

Ushers: Smiling Faces, Judgmental Souls

Ushers are meant to be the first face of the church, welcoming people with kindness. But let’s be honest—some of them are the coldest, most judgmental people you’ll ever meet.

• They fake their smiles while secretly gossiping about church members.
• They look down on people based on their clothing, whispering, “Huyo hana kanzu, anatoka wapi?” (That one doesn’t have proper church attire, where is he from?)
• They serve out of obligation, not love, treating their role as if it’s a high-ranking position rather than an act of service.

Jesus was clear: “The greatest among you must be a servant” (Matthew 23:11). But instead, many ushers walk around like gatekeepers to heaven, picking and choosing who deserves a warm welcome and who doesn’t. If their hearts were as disciplined as their dress code, the church would feel like home, not a courtroom.

The Problem: Uniformed on the Outside, Divided on the Inside

The biggest tragedy in today’s church is that people care more about matching their outfits than matching their spirits with Christ. They perfect their appearance but neglect their character. And yet, God is not fooled. He doesn’t care about how polished your uniform is—He looks at your heart.

The early church didn’t thrive because they had well-dressed choirs or stylish ushers. They thrived because “They were of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). Today, we have the opposite—choirs, worship teams, and ushers that look unified but are spiritually broken.

Enough Is Enough—It’s Time for True Worship

It’s time to stop the act. If you’re going to wear the choir robe, then let your life reflect the worship you sing. If you’re going to be in the praise team, then stop seeking attention and start leading people to God. If you’re going to be an usher, then serve with humility instead of pride.

Because here’s the hard truth: God is not impressed by uniforms. He is moved by hearts that truly worship Him. Until the church understands this, all we will have is a crowd of well-dressed pretenders, not true worshippers.