More Thoughts From Worship Class
In his book, Worship: The Way It Was Meant To Be, Robert Wetmore writes that “the Law of Moses entirely ignores teaching the Israelites what they were supposed to do with music in their abad, their service of worship to the Lord” (p.65). The principle Wetmore teaches is that God never told Moses what role music was supposed to play. A right relationship with God is required of all who wish to worship Him. The concept of shahah, or bowing down to show proper relationship to God, is the first Biblical idea of worship. Worship is literally “bowing” before God to show Him that we understand who He is and why we should worship Him. Once we have “bowed” before God, we are then able to serve (abad) Him. God commanded His people to remember all of the things that He had done for them. A large part of their worship centered on recognizing and memorializing the good things that He had done for them. As Christians we are called to do the same thing every time we gather for the Lord’s Supper. We aren’t able to worship God without the sacrifices He has made on our behalf and part of worship should be to actively remember them. The Jewish feasts were all given by God so that His grace and mercy would be remembered by future generations. Their worship of Him focused on all that He had done for them. Our worship should do the same thing. We should never gather without first bowing before God and recognizing who He is. The second thing we should do is remember what He did for us on the cross.
Weekly Reflections For My Worship Class
I guess I should preface this by explaining what it is. I am taking a class this semester entitled: What Is Worship? In this class I have to write a weekly reflection “paper” on what I learned over the past week. The paper is supposed to address three areas: God, worship and myself. The following is the fourth such paper I’ve written. I may go back and post the other three so that you can witness the progression…if there is any.
I’m not so sure I learned anything new about God this week but I have been reminded of things that I always knew about Him. He never ceases to amaze me in the ways that He provides for me. It’s not just in the material things that I see His provision. I am starting to recognize His deliberate actions in my life and it blows me away. In my times of emotional distress He is right there giving me what He knows I need. I have been struggling with some issues lately and He continues to direct me to appropriate Bible verse or put people in my life who speak to the very issues that I fight against. I must not forget that God will always know where I am and what I need to get through. In His gracious and immeasurable love, He will always meet those needs.
I watched two of the worship sessions at this weekend’s Oasis (a high school youth rally) and I left feeling somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, it was great seeing a room filled with teenagers singing songs about God. On the other hand, I often felt as if the session was more of a concert than a time of worship. The songs were appropriate but I got the impression that it was more about having fun than anything else. I’m conflicted because I have done the same sort of thing when I was supposed to be leading people in worship. Do the silly hand gestures really belong? I don’t mean to be overly critical, but I was somewhat disappointed when several minutes were spent teaching the crowd how to do the “water sprinkler” dance to one of the songs. Is it wrong to be silly and cut up while singing songs about God? Is it true worship? If anything, this past weekend left me with more questions than answers.
This past weekend taught me that I have a lot to learn. I am still fighting the urge to put myself before others. When picking out the songs for our new children’s worship time I was more concerned about whether or not I could play them easily or if I could make them fun. I found myself doing the same thing that bothered me so much about Oasis. I wasn’t making the time about worship. I was trying to make it cool and fun so the kids would go back and tell their parents how much fun children’s worship time was. I have a bigger problem with idolatry than I ever imagined. I am making my perceived job performance the motivation behind what I’m doing. That’s about as pagan as sacrificing a virgin to a volcano.
Go On Up To The Mountain…
Mount Moriah was the place where Abraham took Isaac to offer him up as a sacrifice.
Mount Moriah was the place where Solomon built his temple to God. Mount Moriah was the place where Herod erected the temple that stood in Jesus’ day. Mount Moriah was the place where Jesus was crucified on Calvary.
Abraham called that place “God provides.”
Think of all the sacrifices offered up at that place. Think of the sacrifice halted by God on that mountain and then compare that to the final sacrifice that God allowed to happen there. “God provides.”
Moriah was the Mount of God and He revealed Himself both to Abraham and to us by His actions there.
Worship cannot happen without the shedding of blood. We have convinced ourselves that worship is about singing and praying and lifestyle…but in reality it is a bloody, gruesome process that takes away our sins. There is no worship without blood. It has been that way from the beginning and it remains so to this day.
Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified
Follow Christ to the holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flowed
For you and for me and for all
At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
We’re atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night
On the hillside, you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that poured
From our blessed Savior’s side
At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
We’re atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night
Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified
Guess Who’s Back?
Well…I haven’t jumped on the blogging train quite like I wanted to. Part of that is because I am currently taking 17 hours while trying to be a husband, father and youth minister all at the same time.
The other reason is because I spend most of my time online at another site. I have a feeling that is about to change though. I have been posting there for over three years and my blog/journal there is one of the largest threads on the site. I have a lot of time and energy invested there and it’s hard to up and sever ties overnight.
I’m sick of the place though. It claims to be a Christian community but the fighting and bickering that goes on in its Theology Forum is embarrassing to the body of Christ. The bad thing is that it is starting to spill over into other areas and there really isn’t a way to stop it. I spent the better part of this afternoon watching a thread go from a Hindu girl asking honest questions about Christ, to an all-out war against Roman Catholics and anti-Catholics. Neither side put the welfare of that seeker first. Both sides just had to prove their point and forward their personal agendas. In my attempts to stop some of it I was accused of having a love-fest with a bunch of pagans. I just don’t think I want to be a part of a place that allows such things to go on in the name of Christ.
So…I will be trying to figure out how to translate my very “loose” style of posting to this very structured format. I hope that some of my compadres from that other site follow me over here so we can continue the fellowship that we’ve enjoyed for the past three years.
