As someone whose life is spent designing, imagining, leading, and living out worship, there are few things that I take more seriously. Worship is not just an hour at church, it is a state of being. Worship is living in a constant state of thanksgiving and praise to God. That certainly doesn’t need to take place in a certain building or at a certain time of the week. We can worship, anywhere, and anytime, but giving thanks to God and seeking to praise and honor God with our lives.
That being said, I also take worship services, times when the body of Christ gathers specifically to praise God, to read the Word, and to be strengthened for service in Christ’s name, very seriously. These times of service don’t have to be perfect to please God. They don’t have to have extraordinary creativity to enable the Spirit to work. They don’t even have to be led by clergy for God to show up. But, they should be done in the right way to try and honor God. Offering to God the best that we have honors our creator.
Yet, many worship gatherings make me cringe. They seem to hold no expectation of God’s presence, no consideration of planning, and no use of our God given abilities and creativity to engage the congregation. When I sit through worship like this, sometimes I get physically ill. I was thinking about the different things that make me cringe in worship. Here is a list of somethings I thought of.
1) Preachers who get worked up into a frenzy and say nothing. A lot of preachers will scream, shout, dance around, wipe the sweat off their foreheads and for all their efforts they communicate very little about the truth of God. Preaching is not a show, it is not a performance, and it is never about the preacher. So if you are going to shout, it better be for a reason.
2) People in worship who look like they are in pain. Why is worship such a painful experience for some people. No matter how good the music, how moving the sermon, or how warm the community, some people will sit there like a bump on a log, a corpse in a morgue, or a mannequin in a window and not respond whatsoever. If it is so awful don’t come. You are effecting everyone else, really.
3) People who ignore 2000 years of church history. I attended a church for a while in college, a non-denominational Bible Church, that didn’t mention on Palm Sunday that IT WAS PALM SUNDAY! How can you worship, live as the church, and totally and completely ignore 2000 years of church tradition? How can you act as if it doesn’t matter if 99% of the church that has ever lived considered Palm Sunday to be the beginning of the HOLIEST week of the year. I never stepped foot in that church again.
4) Worship without creativity The people of God have always faced the same problems when it comes to worship. We love to systematize our worship, order it, and regulate it. And always, everywhere, in doing so, many of us have turned it into rote and uninspiring tradition rather than an opportunity to experience and worship the living God. Liturgy and traditions are beautiful. But, in using them to worship God you must use them as a guide, a tool, for seeking God. Even in churches without a stitch of liturgy, worship can fall into predictable, uninspired patterns that remove any sense of anticipation from the experience. Don’t settle for uninspired worship, seek to offer God a new thought every once and a while.
5) Poor use of technology Technology can be a great tool for worship. After all, instruments, lights, electricity, better architecture, sound systems, and the printing press were all technological advances that have greatly impacted worship. Each piece of technology, however, comes with a cost. And each piece of technology must be used well, and appropriately, to facilitate worship. Take for instance lights. It is important to use light in a way that helps people worship instead of distracting them. If there are things to read during a service, people need to be able to see. If there is a preacher, that person needs to be seen. Candles have long been used not just for light, but for effectual techniques of praying and ambiance in a sanctuary. But lights can also be used poorly. I was once on staff at a church that because of concerts and productions in the sanctuary had spinning professional theater lights. Once, for an effect during a song they turned the lights on spin, and they flashed and spun throughout the crowd, as if at a rock concert. It was the most distracting thing I have ever experienced in worship. It was awful. So if you are going to use fancy lighting, computer projectors, videos, or even the written word, make sure you do so in an appropriate and God honoring way.
6) Emotional pleas worthy of a con artist I sat in the service and I couldn’t believe the words the preacher was saying. Having offered an altar call to our students the preacher, disappointed with the response of the students, said “Sometimes you want to come down to find God but Satan is sitting on your lap keeping you from coming. Kick Satan off your lap and come on down.” After that every kid in the church, in an effort to show Satan wasn’t lounging on their lap, got up and went down to stand near and altar and look interested. It was ridiculous. Preachers think that getting people to respond is their job too much of the time. Preachers are called to offer God’s Word the best that they can, and then get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit do its work. Don’t try and force people into a response, it does far more harm than good.
7) Performance in the place of worshipThere is a danger for pastors, song leaders, musicians, artists, lay readers, ushers, and anyone else involved in worship to perform for their glory, instead of serving to praise God. It doesn’t matter if it is a liturgical service, traditional service, contemporary, post-modern, or seeker sensitive. If you are in front of people and it is for your glory instead of God’s, you are living a lie. You are dishonoring God in your very act of worship. Time and time again in the Bible we find those who come to worship God being rejected because the worship has become about them, instead of about God. From God’s rejection of Cane’s offering toAninias and Sapphira being struck down for their deceit, God has demonstrated that worship is very important to him. Be wary of seeking leadership in worship without first checking your ego at the door. If it is ever about you, it ceases to be about God.
Those are some of my thoughts. Are there any things in worship that make you cringe?
July 27, 2006 at 4:20 am
Maggie, Maggie, Maggie…
I am hurt
My posts make you cringe? How come?
I understand that you were pleased with the Billy Idol, White Wedding “worship moment”…but how do you know God was also pleased?
Do you think that there is, or ever has been, “worship” that is/was offered to God that He is/was displeased with?
What did God do with those that offered displeasing worship?
How do we make sure that the worship we offer God is pleasing to Him?
Regards (and please don’t cringe),
Paul
July 27, 2006 at 5:09 am
Greg,
I have an Uncle that is a priest and another Uncle that is a bishop in the Catholic church. I would pay attention to them…just not on spiritual matters/Christian teaching/doctrine/salvation. Maybe on language (Greek, Hebrew, Latin, etc.) and history…They are very learned and intelligent men.
Brennan Manning is a defrocked Catholic, mystic priest that does not teach the Gospel nor does he adhere to Biblical doctrine. Why should the Christian church pay attention to the guy (does he believe/teach in justification by faith alone)?
The Bible does talk about the early church singing…Jesus and the disciples too (see Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26; Acts 16:25; Eph. 5:19 and etc.).
Many seminaries should be out (at least Fuller
)…but obviously there is a biblical basis for discipleship, training, study and examination.
There is also a biblical basis, and defense, for the Trinity.
…but not for contemplative prayer and its teachers/practitioners (Nouwen, Merton, Keating, Manning, Foster and etc.).
Church unity and ecumenicalism are not the same thing.
Church unity is based on true Christians, the wheat…not the tares, being like-minded in Christ. Faith, doctrine and practice that does not line up with God’s Word will prevent true unity. You may be able to create/force conformity without Christ like-mindedness, but it won’t be true unity.
Many contemplatives, including Merton and Keating, have stated that mysticism/contemplative spirituality will be the bridge between world religions.
Dr. Francis Shaeffer (sp?) also predicted that “Christianity” would give up the authority of Scripture and also rationality…the result would be mysticism.
If God can’t be completely known through Scripture, then He will be known through mysticism and its practices (as mystics alledge).
What is your biblical basis for the Church working for the common good to benefit all humanity (by starting schools)? Is that really what the church is to be about?
How did Paul do this and in what city (I guess preaching the Gospel that led to repentance from idol worship, which caused the idol makers to riot was a benefit to all humanity…Is this the kind of benefit that you are referring to…Or is it something else? What a shame to put those idol makers out of business though. Can’t we use those idols as icons in an emergent worship service or something)?
How did Peter do this?
Have a good night.
Paul
July 27, 2006 at 5:15 am
Maggie,
I just wondered…Why weren’t you invited to participate in the Catholic communion?
What prevented you?
Regards,
Paul
July 27, 2006 at 1:04 pm
I was sitting next to my daughter’s fifth grade teacher and I was afraid he would tackle me at the altar if I attempted to receive. He’s a strong Italian guy and I didn’t want to mess with him. I also hadn’t participated in the eucharistic fast-I had a big breakfast. AND I wasn’t in a state of grace because my last confession was in like 1978 and I surely have committed many mortal sins since then.
I am trying to let God work on my cynical side, Paul. I am wanting to love the Catholics. I am essentially, I guess, a Catholic–A fallen Catholic lifted up by Christ within the community of a faithful Methodist Church. Peace. Maggie
July 27, 2006 at 1:49 pm
This latest tangent (Protestants vs. Catholics) is something that I have struggled with myself and have come to realize that we should not hold our misgivings with Catholic doctrine against Catholics as individuals. Just because we don’t believe the same thing we should not treat them with any less love than fellow Protestants. This holds true for any group of people different than us…different cultures, races, denominations, atheists, etc… I shudder when I think about what the Catholic church has promoted, but I try not to let that reflect in my treatment of the individual. We should try to remember that typically they have grown up in a Catholic household and neighborhood. I grew up Baptist, down south, and we didn’t have Catholic churches around. Likewise when I travel to predominantly Catholic areas, they don’t have Baptist churches around. So we shouldn’t expect to convince them to give up Catholicism by simply espousing our beliefs (I think I’m going off on another tangent here).
Going back to contemplation…I have often thought of studying other religions to improve my meditation mostly due to my short attention span and not so much my mysticism.
Paul-You seem to quote a lot of other writers, philosophers, defrocked priests, etc. in your posts. Rather than letting their quotes completely form or support your thoughts, open your heart to what God is saying in your life and what He is saying in the community around you. We can all do a better job of that. I hope I don’t sound too flaky…research is wonderful, but we have to open ourselves up to God around us.
July 27, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Maggie,
So the Catholics weren’t “liars” when you didn’t take communion…you understood that there were certain requirements, based on Catholic doctrine, that you had not fulfilled (and you chose not to take it).
Why does that make you cringe?
Regards,
Paul
July 27, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Todd,
This ain’t good. We agree too often.
I’ll add this to the Catholics vs. Protestants debate tangent. I have an intern here in my office who is Catholic. We have discussions about faith and different standards that our traditions have had for years. I think it allows us both to look at what we believe and how it forms our walk. It’s great to have that bond with someone. Of course, he’s been out all summer, so he may come back and who knows what will happen. Hope not anyway.
July 27, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Hey Todd,
Good to hear from you, again.
Why the assumption that my “misgivings” (these are not “misgivings”…these are Catholic Church doctrines and practices that do not adhere to Scripture in a very significant way…thus Martin Luther and the Reformers) about serious doctrinal error are in some way held against Catholic individuals?
The assumption couldn’t be more wrong (but have you seen what Scripture says is the fate of false teachers?).
My best friend is Catholic. He is like a brother to me. I don’t hold Catholic church doctrinal error against him.
These doctrinal errors could have eternal consequences…so just getting along, absent doctrinal and salvic truth, to get along isn’t an option. It will only make people (whatever their culture or religion) feel unified this side of judgement.
Withholding Truth from people to get along with them is not a loving act.
And Christianity is discriminatory in the sense that faith in Jesus (faith as shown in Scripture) is the only way to the Father and eternal life…all people are not going to like that.
Scripture says that to those who have life the Gospel has a sweet aroma but to those who are perishing it has the stench of death. Christians and the church have to put away the can of Lysol in their attempt to cover up the stench. It doesn’t cover it up and it is only altering the sweet aroma (so to speak).
The “can’t we all just get along” sentiment doesn’t work in Christianity and wasn’t demonstrated to us by Jesus, nor by His disciples (nor is it shown in Scripture).
If a person confesses Jesus Christ as Savior, as Scripture shows, they are expected to give up all false teaching and conform to the faith, doctrine and practice as shown in Scripture. In doing so…they will give up the false teachings, false doctrines and false worship practices of Catholicism.
Contemplation is mysticism…One can’t be seperated from the other. Christianity does not gain knowledge of God from mind-emptying silence (like other religions do). It gets knowledge of God from Scripture.
And if contemplation is a Christian practice, then why would you have to study other world religions to improve your meditation?
How exactly is the study of other world religions going to improve your meditation and facilitate you becoming more knowledgeable and closer to God? (Is this how Scripture tells us to do it?)
Sorry to say but…it did sound flaky.
Words mean something and have a definite meaning. What people say they believe can rationally be determined to be what they really believe (and form/base our opinions related to what they believe). If what they believe does not align with Scripture, then what they believe is wrong. We have a duty as Christians to compare, with Scripture, what those in the Church are teaching or saying they believe (Acts 17:11). If in a comparison with Scripture it can be determined that they are believing/teaching wrong, then we have the duty to refute, rebuke, exhort, teach, disciple and etc. (all with love, patience, humility, strength and gentleness). If we fail to do this, we are failing in our Christian calling (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Jesus said, “I am sending you out among wolves. Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)(shrewd=cautious in character and discerning; innocent=unmixed and innocent).
July 27, 2006 at 6:44 pm
What makes me cringe, Paul, is the reality of how broken the body of Christ is over the Eucharist. The song speaks of being one body throughout the earth under this one Lord. We are not. It is sad to me that all those who profess faith in Christ cannot join together in Holy Communion. I’m sure you could come up with Scripture to back me up.
Peace,
Maggie
.
July 27, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Maggie,
I agree. I had an ex-girlfriend about two years ago who was unable to take in communion because of divorce. Where I was able to receive, she was not. I never saw this as being what Christ wanted when he served the Supper with his disciples. It’s like I told my mentor on Wednesday, I love how we celebrate communion in the Methodist church. It’s open to everyone. Doesn’t matter if you are a member. Doesn’t matter if it’s your first time. You’re welcomed at the Lord’s Table. That hits home.