This is my reaction to Anne’s post from yesterday regarding “the hypocrisy of worship.” For the record, I’m not trying to be argumentative or steal anyone’s thunder. This is a way for me to further flesh out my own thoughts on the matter. In addition, this very topic speaks to the original reason I began blogging in the first place, so there’s no divergence in thought or purpose between this post and my blog.
Fair warning, this will likely be a long one. I’ll try to break it up into logical sections as I go along. I will also be referencing things said on Anne’s blog, both in her post and from the commenters. I will not be naming the commenters by name, so please look the post up and cross reference my quotes for full context and attribution.
Another thing, I am a musician, and the “worship leader” at my church (a “job” which entails mostly the leading of music in the congregational context). However, I will strive in this post to refrain from speaking solely about music as used in worship unless it is mentioned alongside or in comparison/contrast to other worship practices.
The Issue
every time i hear the words “worship was off the hook tonight” (and not merely because they said “off the hook”…we’ll save that 80s catch phrase for a later discussion) or “i can’t wait to worship this weekend” i literally feel my stomach do this awkward knotting up thing.
These were some of Anne’s initial words, and while I cannot say I know exactly how she feels, I do feel I can relate somewhat. I remember preaching a little over a year ago on the subject of worship and telling my church that I really don’t like to hear “the worship was really good today,” or “I enjoyed worship today.” Those sentiments, even though they are nice and well intentioned, make my skin crawl. I would much rather hear people say things like “I hope the Lord was pleased with our worship today,” or “I was challenged in my relationship today.”
Anne goes on to wonder if our modern day church culture has changed the meaning of the word “worship” to mean something it should not. I agree that this has happened to a certain degree, and also agree that whenever our definition of something differs from Scripture we need to face that fact fully and seek to submit ourselves to the Bible’s authority on the matter.
Another point I agree on, is that Christ-followers have and do at times take the issue of worship too lightly. There are instances when we have turned the whole practice into a slick presentation that is driven more by motion and emotion than by the Spirit of God working within us. I also agree that God does not take worship, ceremonial or not, lightly. I believe, based on the Scripture below, that God does not even accept empty worship, but rejects it outright.
The Scripture
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.” Amos 5:21-22
I actually like the NLT version of this passage even better when it says, “I hate all your show and pretense—” as that sounds more like what we’re discussing here. But, as with all Scripture, let’s make sure we’re reading in context. HEAR ME CLEARLY ON THIS, I’m not saying Anne was taking it out of context, I’m just warning us all to make sure we are correctly reading and applying the Scripture.
Understand that God was not passing judgment on the performance of sacrifices, remember he had commanded them to do so hundreds of years before. This all goes back to the heart. Back in verse four of the chapter God says, “Seek me and live.” This is one of the things Israel had failed to do, and so their sacrifices were worthless.
It’s like buying your wife a birthday present on the way home after having sex with your mistress.
Throughout chapter five, God is calling on His people to do good, to enact justice, to pursue holiness and righteousness. Anne’s quoting of Micah 6:8 is right on in this matter. Justice, mercy and humility are products of the heart, and the heart must be aligned with God to enter into worship.
The Practice
So, at issue then, are the practices of worship. Again, I agree with Anne were she indicates that we sometimes have our methodology backwards in that we pack the pews, work on the emotions, then strive to get people to live out Micah 6:8. Here’s where I’m going to be contentious.
I don’t have a huge problem with that.
Don’t get me wrong, please hear me out on this. I agree that this kind of thinking is really worship in reverse. I completely agree with Anne again when she says, “the heart comes before the words. before the song. and well before the weekend service.” (Am I starting to sound like a sychophant with all this agreeing?)
I had a recent post about this very idea. Corporate worship should really be the overflow of a local congregation’s individual worship from the previous week. Unfortunately, the majority of Christ-followers are not that mature in their walk with Him.
Are some church services highly (overly) produced? Yes. Is that bad? No.
The modern church has, in a way like never before, given creative people an outlet for their talents and skills to be used for God’s glory. I truly believe that a person sitting in the control booth at a megachurch and calling cameras and whatnot is performing an act of worship just as much as the person with the guitar behind the microphone. The non-musical person sitting in the back of the room not singing, but rather spending the time praying for others and otherwise reflecting on God, is worshiping just as much as the kid on the front row who’s dancing around singing at the top of their lungs.
All of these are acts of worship, IF the heart is pointed in the right direction. IF the person is loving God first with all their heart, soul, mind, strength. IF the person is seeking first the Kingdom of heaven.
That’s a tall order.
Are a lot of the people in the audience just there because the music is hot, the lights are hot, the stage design is hot, the hip factor is hot, etc.? Yes.
I don’t really have a problem with that, IF the goal of the church leadership is to use the “hotness” as a tool to inject truth into the minds of hearts of those who came simply for the atmosphere.
You see, this is where church differs from just some night club down the street. The production values may be similar, but the heart values are completely different. The night club produces a great show to draw money out of pocketbooks. The local church produces a great show to draw men and women into a closer relationship with Christ.
Read me carefully. I’m not saying the production is what facilitates a closer relationship, its a tool to get people in the door so that we can introduce them. This is no different at a smaller church. Case in point:
I’m a worship leader blogger at a church with an average Sunday morning attendance somewhere between 150 and 200. We don’t do flashy lights, we don’t have the major production, but we do what we are capable of doing right now. We make the experience as good as our time, talent, and resources allow us to make possible. We work really hard, especially lately, to teach our people that worship (and being a Christ-follower in general) is so much more than the music/preaching experience on Sunday morning. We intentionally tell our people that doing good is more than just not being bad, that it is intentionally working and serving Christ and others. We talk and model the spiritual disciplines A LOT in the hopes that our congregation will catch on and have a more fully realized and abundant life in Christ.
Guess what? Just like the big megachurches with the hot show, we have the same small percentage who really “get it” in our small congregation. How do I know this? How can I be so judgmental? Because we see the fruit, or rather the lack thereof. Honestly, you can look out across the congregation and tell who hasn’t thought about worshiping or serving Christ since the last Sunday because it’s written on the way they’ve lived their lives over the last week.
In the end, though, that’s not my judgment call, even if it is readily apparent. Is that kind of person’s worship empty on Sunday morning? Yup. Should that concern me? Yup. Is it my fault? Nope, not as long as I’ve done all I can as a leader and servant to teach and model all of what worship entails.
As the worship leader in my church, whenever I get a chance to speak, I often talk about worship. Recently I spoke on Psalm 66, where many “actions” of worship are mentioned. (I blogged about it here.) Among the actions listed you will find not just singing, but praying, sacrificing, shouting, crying, and confessing.
Look at that last one, confessing. Here’s the heart of the matter. Here’s the foundation of our relationship with the Father, confessing our sins and repenting of them. This in turn will lead us toward loving God completely, walking in humility, acting with mercy, and pursuing holiness. These in turn will give way to the actions of worship, which may look different for diverse people in various stages of their relationship with Christ.
Some will shout and sing loudly and play crashing cymbals. Others will seek solitude and silence and meditate on the the Lord and His word. Others will want simplicity in their worship actions, a stripping down of anything unneccessary to their relationship with God. Others will begin divesting themselves of their worldly goods. Others will dance, or paint, or write, or pray, or cry, or witness, or listen, or tell, or bless, or confess, or….you get the picture.
In fact, if the heart’s in the right place, we will likely have a desire to do most or all of these worship actions at sometime during our life. Or not. That’s good either way, for if the heart is right, the action is not a problem.
If the heart is wrong, the action is pointless.
OK, I’ve rambled on and on, and have probably not really made any real points here. This was more of a get it off my chest post than anything else.
To Anne, if you happen to read this inane rambling, thank you for your blog and your continued challenge to all of us who claim to be walking the walk. I love your ability to say so much with so few words (a skill I’m sure all my readers were wishing I shared at this point). Keep challenging us to walk with integrity and authenticity.
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