Thursday, December 15, 2005
Colossians 1:27
I am sitting in my living room with the TV on and switched onto a show that is basically a live feed from some church in England. The church service, if that is what it is, is something I'd really enjoy. The music is modern, the average age of those attending wouldn't be that far above my own age, the musicians and singers are very talented. It has reminded me about something that Alastair (the student preacher at my church) had said and that I had set to the side of my mind to come back to later.
This sort of service is very much about the experience of the moment. Now, I know for a fact that the church I am watching hears a Gospel message from a very blessed preacher because I have listened to him. But the praise time is very much grounded in experience and dependent upon music to subtly touch people.
Don't get me wrong: experiential (and experimental) worship is good... more power to it! But whenever we treat this sort of worship as the worship - whenever we begin that sort of time of praise with the words "let's worship" - then we stand on very unsafe ground. It communicates the dangerous fallacy that worship is singing and, even worse, worship is singing that one enjoys. Songs like To Be In Your Presence, while having a good sentiment, implicitly communicate that God's presence isn't always with us and that we have to work (sing loudly and/or lift our hands high) in order to be found worthy enough to have His presence manifest itself within us. This is not true: God is always with us. Further, God is within us.
I love singing modern songs. I love playing sax in bands that play modern praise songs. I love church services that are experiential and experiment with things (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit). But we must always be aware that worship should be 24/7, worship is a lifestyle, love is a lifestyle, God is always with us (and in us) and that God is much more interested in the attitude of our hearts rather than in the altitude of our hands.
Colossians 1:27 NIV: To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
This sort of service is very much about the experience of the moment. Now, I know for a fact that the church I am watching hears a Gospel message from a very blessed preacher because I have listened to him. But the praise time is very much grounded in experience and dependent upon music to subtly touch people.
Don't get me wrong: experiential (and experimental) worship is good... more power to it! But whenever we treat this sort of worship as the worship - whenever we begin that sort of time of praise with the words "let's worship" - then we stand on very unsafe ground. It communicates the dangerous fallacy that worship is singing and, even worse, worship is singing that one enjoys. Songs like To Be In Your Presence, while having a good sentiment, implicitly communicate that God's presence isn't always with us and that we have to work (sing loudly and/or lift our hands high) in order to be found worthy enough to have His presence manifest itself within us. This is not true: God is always with us. Further, God is within us.
I love singing modern songs. I love playing sax in bands that play modern praise songs. I love church services that are experiential and experiment with things (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit). But we must always be aware that worship should be 24/7, worship is a lifestyle, love is a lifestyle, God is always with us (and in us) and that God is much more interested in the attitude of our hearts rather than in the altitude of our hands.
Colossians 1:27 NIV: To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
