Food for thought:

The Ohio Supreme Court recently ruled that church regional offices are not exempt from property taxes. So what? Well they voted that way because although the administrative offices of church denominations are used to support public worship, public worship does not qualify as a "charitable activity." 

Now churches could become very upset at this kind of ruling. And there would be some reason, I think, to be disappointed. But maybe we should see the problem not in the court but in our worship. Worship in the Bible changes people. It encourages people to radically love their neighbor in the name of God. It brings people on their knees in praise, in repentance and in hope. So why is it that when we come together and worship people don't recognize it as "charity"? The Bible doesn't accept a separation between our charity and our worship. Do we? So how could we change our Sunday mornings in such a way that the world would not doubt that our public worship was an act of great love that spurred us to incredible charity? How could our charity and worship become one? That worship was an indispensible part of love. And love was an indispensible part of worship.