Do It Anyway

More than a year ago I collected the following quotes as potential fodder for my blog, though little explanation is required.

“We live in what one writer has called the ‘age of sensation.’ We think that if we don’t feel something there can be no authenticity in doing it. But the wisdom of God says something different: that we can act ourselves into a new way of feeling much quicker than we can feel ourselves into a new way of acting. Worship is an act that develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God that is expressed in an act of worship. When we obey the command to praise God in worship, our deep, essential need to be in relationships with God is nurtured” (Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 48).

“How does one feel thankful? ...It seems to be something which disappears or becomes a mere word the moment one recognizes one ought to be feeling it. I always tell people not to bother about ‘feelings’ in their prayers, and above all never to try to feel, but I’m a bit puzzled about Gratitude: for if it is not a feeling, what is it? A funny thing how merely formulating a question awakes the conscience! ...Act your gratitude and let feelings look after themselves” (C.S. Lewis, Yours, Jack, 95).

“...we have no power to make ourselves love God. The only way is absolute obedience to Him, total surrender. He will give us the ‘feeling’ if He pleases. But both when He does and when He does not, we shall gradually learn that feeling is not the important thing. There is something in us deeper than feeling, deeper even than conscious will. It is rather being. When we are quite empty of self we shall be filled with Him” (Ibid. 101).

“Feelings come and go, and when they come a good use can be made of them: they cannot be our regular spiritual diet” (C.S. Lewis, The World’s Last Night, 109).

These days we might hear someone say, “I don’t feel like going to church... reading my Bible... praying.” But could you benefit from doing it anyway? “I don’t feel like praising God?” But isn’t He worthy of praise at all times? There are a lot of things in life that we do whether we feel like it or not. And although faith isn’t a “to do” list, there are times when we simply have to trust that doing what God has instructed in His Word will be good for us in the end.

The spiritual disciplines have gotten lost in some Christian traditions, because they are confused with works-based salvation. Their value lies not in saving us, but in drawing our attention back to the One who did save us and gives purpose to our existence. Let us therefore draw near to God in worship and gratitude.

“Rejoice always, praying without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

In His Image

In my Bible reading this year I have arrived at Exodus 20 and the Ten Commandments. In the first two commandments, God tells Moses:

“You shall have no other gods before Me.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments” (vv. 3-6).

As it happens, a devotional book I’ve been reading also touched on these verses. I won’t name the book or author as I’ve become increasingly skeptical of his theology the more I read. He comments,

“…practices of hanging pictures of Jesus on the wall, plastering Christian symbols on our cars, and wearing jewelry with religious symbols is actually heresy. It violates a very specific command of God to make no images” (italics in original).

While I would generally agree with him about images of Jesus (none of us know what He looked like anyhow), I think he’s reading too much into the text to forbid all types of images and symbols. The command in Exodus has a specific application that is mentioned directly in the text: “You shall not bow down to them.” In verse 23 God repeats, “You shall not make gods of silver to be with Me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.” (See also Lev. 26:1.) Of course, we know that the Israelites immediately disobeyed by making the golden calf. “They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them” (32:8).

Just a few chapters after the Ten Commandments, God gave instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant, which included images of cherubs (ch. 25). And when Israel started building the Temple in 1 Kings 7, there were plenty of artistic decorations—pomegranates (v. 18), gourds (v. 24), and oxen (v. 25), along with a special place for the Ark of the Covenant. Clearly God was not prohibiting all carved images, but the worship of them. In Numbers 21, God commanded Moses to make the image of a bronze serpent on a pole by which people could be saved if they were bitten by a snake. It was later destroyed (2 Kings 18) because people were starting to worship it.

We do need to be careful that our manmade images are not becoming idols that we substitute for God. They can be reminders of God if they direct our attention to God, not to themselves. I was disturbed this week to hear a caller to the Christian radio station refer to her “plushy Jesus.” Just the way she talked about it made me say “That’s idolatry!” I don’t know who created such a thing, but I would bet it was a non-Christian marketing opportunist.

If no images are allowed at all, there are a lot of Christian artists who will be called to account. But that does not seem likely given the rest of Scripture. Most of us in Western culture are probably in greater danger of idolizing our money, family, and possessions than we are of worshiping the art and Christian symbols we have around us. Many things both good and bad can become idols, but not all of them do. “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Cor. 8:9).

“Beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them” (Deut. 4:19a).

***

PS: I found this image online and was dumbfounded at the error. What did they miss?

© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Theology of Special Music

The subject of special music in church services is one that I’ve given quite a bit of thought. I won’t give all my opinions, but wanted to outline some areas to consider on the question of whether should churches use soloists or small group performances in worship. There are two contrasting assumptions debated among theologians.

Regulative Principle of Worship: God commands certain elements of worship in Scripture and prohibits all other practices.

The Westminster Confession of Faith (21.1) states:

“But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.”

In some Christian traditions this has been strictly interpreted to mean only singing the scriptural psalms and singing without musical accompaniment. Other traditions have used a broader definition to allow a variety of instruments and styles of congregational singing, but prohibiting special music by individuals or groups. One of the Scriptures used in support of this principle is Deuteronomy 12:32:

“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”

Normative Principle of Worship: If Scripture does not specifically prohibit something, then it is permissible.

This too has been interpreted in a variety of ways—from churches with a fairly set order of service that includes solos and choirs, to churches that include full bands, interpretive dance, and special effects. Advocates here might point to verses like Psalm 33:3:

“Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”

Other Considerations

Music has been an important element in the worship of God since at least Exodus if not before. Scripture makes frequent reference to music and singing. The Bible includes a whole book of psalms to be sung. Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn together following the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Paul and Silas sang hymns in jail, and Paul instructed the Corinthian church:

“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Cor. 14:26).

This verse would seem to allow for one to sing a solo in the church gathering, but we can’t ignore the end of that verse— “for building up.” All the contributions to the service are meant for building others up in the faith. Earlier in the letter Paul wrote:

“All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (1 Cor. 10:23-24).

Just because something is permissible doesn’t mean it is the best choice at any given time or place. In the book of Amos, woes were pronounced upon those who sang “idle songs” and invented musical instruments but “are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph” (Amos 6:1-6). There are times to sing and times to be silent.

Music used in worship should consider both the glory of God and the good of the gathered body. Paul told the Colossians:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:16-17, see also Eph. 5:18-21).

The modern Western church has at times tended to adopt our culture’s focus on the individual—what do I prefer, how do I benefit, and how can I get recognition? We may be less conscientious about considering what is best for the local church body. Our culture is also increasingly focused on entertainment, which has impacted the church as well. Far too many people look at worship as a spectator sport. Some church-hop to find the best show and some people seek the recognition of being featured.

There are several questions that I would encourage church leaders to consider:

• Is the use of soloists and special music contributing to worshiping God and proclaiming His Word, or is it promoting entertainment and glorifying people?
• What is the motivation of those who are asking for special music or those who are asking to present such music?
• Who in the church has jurisdiction over the choice of music and musicians?
• Are there ways to use gifted people in leading music without featuring them as performance artists?
• How might church leaders guide the congregation to focus on God and the truths of Scripture more than on the musicians?

I believe that different churches can make different decisions on these questions, but all churches should consider why they do what they do. We’ve probably all adopted certain traditions without thinking through them biblically. “We’ve always done it that way” is not good justification for anything. I’ve heard of churches where non-members are not allowed to sing in the choir, and I’ve heard of large churches that hire non-Christians to play in the band. Either extreme raises concerns. To those inclined to legalism the caution is, “In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). To those inclined to indulgence, “All things should be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name” (Psalm 30:4).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Sing!

Keith and Kristyn Getty’ book, Sing! How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church, is a good one for pastors, song leaders, church members, and parents alike. The following are a few quotes that caught my attention:

“Repeatedly and throughout Scripture, we are commanded to be a singing people. There are more than four hundred references to singing in the Bible and at least fifty direct commands. We are not to disregard the command because we don't like the music or the personnel or are not in the mood... Colossians 3:16 also speaks into how we sing… “with thankfulness in your hearts to God” … Thankfulness is more than saying the words with your lips. In fact, you are not singing Christianly if you are singing only with your lips… How we sing does reveal how we think and feel about something” (14, 18).

“If our songs are not giving us a balanced, rich, nutritious diet, we will not be spiritually healthy people… Could it be that many of our services today turn people off who are suffering and seeking Christ? Do our songs present a veneer of happiness rather than a robust joy in the midst of pain? Are the fountains we point to as we sing deep enough to meet the thirst that the trials of life give us? If not, then our diet is impoverished—our words are too small” (46).

“Songs help us train children in the ‘language’ of the Christian faith. What we want to teach our kids travels deeper inside them when we sing it rather than only speak it to them… Singing together in the home is an excellent way to prompt questions and give answers and aim for depth of spiritual understanding in our children in a memorable way” (57-58).

“Our singing (even when it joyfully falls off pitch) should always, unapologetically, contribute to our sense of family and community and never be rushed through, mumbled through, or handed over to the ‘professionals’” (76).

“Biblically rich content in song, sung by people who look like they mean what they are saying, helps teach the gospel as something that is credible and powerful rather than cultural and optional” (78).

“We must actually believe and live the truths we sing, otherwise what we sing can make us hypocritical, and not only doesn’t attract non-believers—it turns them off. It is easy to sing about the Lordship of Christ; far harder to live under it” (92).

“The songs we sing together are lifelines that draw each of us back to the heart of the King we serve and to the priorities of the kingdom we are members of. The songs we sing to ourselves are what tether us to our Lord day by day. The songs we sing to others are what proclaim His kingdom manifesto in a way that reaches deep into their heads and their hearts” (98).

In the end, the question is “Will you sing?”

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name” (Psalm 30:4 ESV).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Worship Reflections

I’ve been reading on the subject of worship lately. The books I’ve read have all agreed that the Bible does not give much specific guidance on how Christian worship should look and sound. Each author has their own emphases and preferences, some of which I agree with and some I don’t. But rather than state my own opinions, I’ll simply offer a few quotes that caught my attention:

D.A. Carson, Worship by the Book:

“[You] cannot find excellent corporate worship until you stop trying to find excellent corporate worship and pursue God himself… one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship worship rather than worship God” (31).

Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters:

“Our great privilege as worship leaders is to help people see through the eyes of faith how great God has actually revealed himself to be… We’re called to clearly and specifically remind them what God has shown us about himself” (62).

“Biblically speaking, no worship leader, pastor, band, or song will ever bring us close to God. We can’t shout, dance, or prophesy our way into God’s presence. Worship itself cannot lead us into God’s presence. Only Jesus himself can bring us into God’s presence, and he has done it through a single sacrifice that will never be repeated—only joyfully recounted and trusted in” (73-74).

“Eagerly expecting the Spirit’s power in our meetings goes hand in hand with a radical commitment to the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word… A church that’s dependent on the Spirit’s power in worship will be committed to the study, proclamation, and application of God’s Word in its personal and congregational worship. The Word and the Spirit were never meant to be separated. In fact, God’s Spirit is the one who inspired God’s Word” (89).

Robert Webber, Worship Old & New:

“[The] overriding concern of worship is… a personal meeting with God. On one side, the emphasis is on God who has acted; on the other side, the emphasis is on humans responding. In this way something happens in worship: God and his people meet. Worship is not simply going through the motions of ceremony. It becomes the visible and tangible meeting of God through the signs and symbols of his presence” (ch. 7).

“The external and internal elements of worship must be assembled properly to give worship a sense of movement and a dynamic quality. Because the entire congregation constitutes the players in the drama of worship, it is important that all of the members know their parts, understand the meaning of what is being done, and participate purposefully. For this reason it is important to remember that worship is a group activity and that the meaning of worship must be learned” (ch. 7).

“Music must be seen in its pastoral context as fundamentally an enabler of fuller congregational participation. Music must serve the text of worship rather than function as an interruption or an interlude” (ch. 11).

Many articles and books have been written about “worship wars,” usually referring to musical styles. Here in the suburban Bible belt there are churches every couple miles, so it is easy for someone to bounce around until they find a church that fits their preferences. But I do think most Christians are pretty tolerant of variations from week to week. No single church or person has the final word. God created us with great diversity and calls all of us to worship Him both individually and collectively. Every facet of our lives can be worship if we remember that it is all by God’s grace and for His glory (Romans 12:1-2).

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:4 ESV).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Heart and Mind

The other day I was listening to Christian radio and heard a song I was not familiar with—“More Like Falling in Love” by Jason Gray. As I thought about the lyrics they made me distinctly uneasy. One line that is repeated several times is “It’s gotta be more like falling in love than something to believe in; more like losing my heart than giving my allegiance.” The story behind the song (found here) clarifies his intent somewhat, but I still have problems with the message. Gray said,

“I think we’re in danger of making our faith about intellectual beliefs of facts of who Jesus was and is today. The danger, at least for me, is that a solely intellectualized faith can lose its heart, and over and over we are told in Scripture that the heart matters.”

While that may be true to some degree, I don’t think that is the predominant problem with American Christianity. It seems to me that we are far more likely to pursue some kind of emotional response that may have very little to do with the facts of who Jesus was and is. Yes, faith is more than an intellectual exercise, but it is also more than a love affair. Gray’s lyrics set up a false dichotomy. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 ESV). Faith requires engagement of both heart and mind.

In his chapter in Standing on the Promises, Larry Knowles wrote:

“Let it be said again that worship ought to engage the mind and the emotions. Careful wording and cerebral agreement alone do not a worshiper make… There is no doubt that the love of God is something the Christian will want to internalize personally and celebrate with emotive affection… Our concern with heavily romantic or sensory lyrics is that they communicate God’s love as primarily a subjective phenomenon, grasped mainly by its emotional and personal impact. Granted, these words may come from the genuine experience of a lyricist. But the glut of choruses that talk about ‘falling in love with Jesus’ finds no correlate in Scripture” (178-179).

Someone may say, “True, but Christian radio is not worship.” The average listener is drawn to songs that stir their emotions, not necessarily those that clearly represent scriptural truths. That’s one reason I rarely listen to the radio. Listeners tends to identify artists they like, and then listen indiscriminately to anything that artist wrote. A large percentage of the new songs that get introduced in churches start out on the radio, and many church music leaders don’t evaluate songs by their theology. Church leaders should be cautious about “endorsing” artists who are not consistently presenting solid theology.

I have a bit of a pet peeve when it comes to music used in worship services. In many churches the music is unbiblical, unsingable, or (often) unrelated to the day’s sermon. Since Jesus proclaimed that “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” (John 4:23b), those who plan the worship service and choose the music have a responsibility to lead in spirit and truth. Alistair Begg gave three guidelines on worship music:

1. It is biblical, being grounded in the truth of Scripture.
2. It is rational in that it engages our minds.
3. It is clearly spiritual in that it involves the very core of our being.

Begg also quoted from Keith and Kristyn Getty’s helpful guidelines from 5 Ways to Improve Congregational Singing. Their first point, “Begin with the pastor,” states:

“Ultimately the buck stops with him in congregational worship. Every pastor must be intimately involved in the language being placed in the congregation’s mouth, for that singing ultimately affects how they think, how they feel, how they pray, and how they live.”

In Christian freedom, we can each listen to whatever we like on the radio or online, and churches are free to use whatever music seems to best fit their context. But personally, I have found that “taking every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) is closely linked to “making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding” (Proverbs 2:2). Our ears and eyes are the two primary methods of input to our thoughts and beliefs. If we aren’t paying attention for ourselves, no one else is likely to do it for us.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Silence

After reading a biography of Fred Rogers, I just started reading The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers, by Amy Hollingsworth. The first chapter got me thinking about silence. In an interview with Fred Rogers he said,

“I think, for me, I need to be myself... And so, for me, being quiet and slow is being myself, and that is my gift... It seems to me, though, that our world needs more time to wonder and to reflect about what is inside, and if we take time we can often go much deeper as far as our spiritual life is concerned than we can if there’s constant distraction. And often television gives such constant distraction—noise and fast-paced things—which doesn’t allow us to take time to explore the deeper levels of who we are—and who we can become.”

Hollingsworth goes on to say:

“Yale psychologists comparing Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to Sesame Street... discovered that children were better able to follow the stories on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood than the faster-paced, hip and hip-hopping world of Sesame Street. Another study concluded that Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood led to an increase in ‘tolerance of delay,’ meaning that children in the study who watched the program were more likely to be patient in waiting for materials or for an adult’s attention.”

Now I don’t have a degree in child development (though I do have one in Educational Ministries), but it seems to me that we need to take a step back and look at the world we are creating with our instant gratification and “always on” media. I’d say the vast majority of the Western world is overstimulated, and we are reaping the consequences in our schools and churches and families. Hollingsworth includes this quote from the demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood in C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, “We will make the whole universe a noise in the end.” I don’t think we are far off from that now.

Conversely, Scripture is replete with references to “be silent,” “be still,” and “wait.”

• “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent” (Psalm 4:4 ESV).
• “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted in the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).
• “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him” (Psalm 62:5).
• “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20).
• “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near” (Zephaniah 1:7a).

As Christians, most of us would say we want to hear from God, and yet we make little effort to listen. We want our answers just a click away. Even our church services typically have very little space for silence. (I admit that when I’m preparing our sermon audio for the podcast, I typically shorten any pauses that are more than five seconds.) I was reading recently about the regulative principle of worship—that churches should not add anything to worship services that is not specifically permitted in Scripture (https://www.gotquestions.org/regulative-normative-worship.html). I think to some extent it is true that “simpler is better.” I won’t say that it’s necessarily bad for churches to project lyrics and Scriptures, or to use praise bands or accompaniment tracks, but it does concern me when some worship services are indistinguishable from concerts and other performances. Silence is one way of pointing people back to the reason for worship. When all the external noises are stilled, we have fewer distractions from the voice of the Holy Spirit who was given to “teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

In the noise of this world, it can be hard to find silence, and I believe the church is uniquely suited to providing that break from routine. Many families experience no silent moments unless the kids are asleep; however, kids need silence too. I believe the admonition in James to be “quick to hear, slow to speak” ought to be applied to all types of situations, not just potentially controversial conversations.

I remember an exercise during training to be a Resident Assistant in college. We were to go into a dorm room and respond to whatever scenario was presented. It happened that the room I got was a person who was upset about a difficult relationship. I didn’t really know how to respond, so I just listened to her talk. Afterward, the students observing (as well as the actress) said that even though they wanted to jump in and start talking, my silence was probably the best response in that case. How often do we really listen instead of jumping in with answers or reassurances? Job’s friends were at their best before they opened their mouths, and Job too had to learn to put his hand over his mouth.

My challenge for this week (and you’re welcome to join me) is to stop the noise. Take time away from the TV and internet to be still. Find a time and place to stop and listen for the “low whisper” of God’s presence (1 Kings 19:12). And then extend that listening to those around who just need to be heard.

“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Gather Expectantly

Nehemiah chapters 8 and 9 have often left me amazed. The people of Israel gathered in the square to listen to the reading of God’s Word all morning, and it wasn’t even the more comforting parts of the Bible they heard, but the Law—those chapters that we’re probably tempted to skip when we read through the Bible. They didn’t respond with boredom but with sorrow because of their sin. The next day they held a training conference for the leaders to study the words of the Law, and for the rest of the week they continued listening to the readings. Just a couple weeks later they gathered again and “read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of a day [3 hours]; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God” (9:3 ESV).

I wonder how it would go over in most churches to hold week-long services for the sole purpose of reading chapter after chapter of Leviticus? Or a six-hour worship service? I was a little surprised that The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference last week centered around teaching from Deuteronomy and had good attendance. We tend to have short attention spans when it comes to Scripture reading and teaching. If the sermon goes more than 30 minutes, many church members start checking their watches. Cultural influences certainly play a part. Churches of other cultures often have no such time constraints on their services. We can blame technology and consumerism if we like, but the real problem is hearts that are not attuned to seeking first the Kingdom of God. We don’t hear His Word for us because we don’t really care to listen.

I came across this quote from Jason Meyer in David Mathis’s book Habits of Grace: “The ministry of the word in Scripture is stewarding and heralding God’s word in such a way that people encounter God through his word.” How often do we attend church services with the expectation of encountering God? How often do we show up expecting little more than to sing a few songs and hear to someone talk for a while? How often do we prepare for worship prayerfully and not just run in at the last second?

I would challenge all of us to consider our degree of receptivity to the things of God and our level of engagement in corporate worship. Mathis wrote for Desiring God:

“It’s tragically sad to be apathetic and lazy. Corporate worship is too important not to care. This is the single most important hour in the Christian’s typical week — because here we experience, as in no other weekly habit, the coming together of hearing God’s voice (in his word read and preached), having his ear (in prayer and Godward song), and belonging to his body (in the many corporate aspects before, during, and following our gathering).

“It simply matters too much to our own souls, and to the souls of others, to be content with disengaging, whether our lethargy is emotional and stubborn, or simply the product of consistently not getting enough sleep on Saturday night.”

May we gather expectantly this weekend!

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” (Psalm 95:6).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Photo © 2018 Dawn Rutan. 

Here I Stand

When I was younger, I did not enjoy reading history or biographies, but these days I find myself turning to biographies quite frequently. Somehow fiction just doesn’t compare with real life. I just finished the 2017 biography of Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas, and I would highly recommend it. I learned a lot that I hadn’t read before or had long since forgotten. (Dr. Rosell may decide to revoke my grades in his church history classes at GCTS.)

I knew that Scripture knowledge was lacking among the laity because they didn’t have the Bible in their own language, but I didn’t realize that the clergy weren’t much better. Metaxas writes:

“It was a plain fact that no one was really entrusted with reading the Bible itself, so that monks and even priests and theologians were typically kept at one or more removes from it... In contrast with his frenetic and passionate Bible reading, Luther said that the other monks did not read their Bibles very much or at all... Strangely enough, once a novice actualy became a monk, he was no longer allowed to keep his Bible. At that point, he must limit himself to only reading scholarly books” (52-53).

In his many debates, Luther’s opponents seemed to be more concerned with upholding the authority of the Pope than with seriously considering what Scripture had to say about an issue.

“Duke George himself had a private conversation with Luther... he easily solved the thorny theological question of papal authority by gruffly declaring, ‘Whether by divine or by human right, the pope is still the pope!’” (171).

“For many in attendance [at Leipzig, Johannes] Eck’s quoting [Matthew 16:18-19] to prove his point was as though he had shouted ‘QED,’ and raised his hands in triumph. Eck then said that to deny this most basic of doctrines was to side with the Bohemian heretic Jan Hus, who a century earlier was condemned at the Council of Constance and burned at the stake” (174).

In addition, I hadn’t realized the extent of papal power over secular authorities. There is a reason it was called the Holy Roman Empire. Luther wrote:

“In name the empire belong to us, but in reality to the pope... We Germans are given a clear German lesson. Just as we thought we had achieved independence, we became the slaves of the craziest of tyrants; we have the name, title, and coat of arms of the empire, but the pope has the wealth, power, the courts, and the laws. Thus the pope devours the fruit and we play with the peels” (186).

In the modern Western world, it’s hard to imagine the a world without national and personal independence. We value our freedom of religion and freedom of expression, but this a bit of a historical anomaly. Most nations and most time periods have simply not had the freedoms we enjoy.

“Many historians have put Luther forward as the first to put ‘individual conscience’ before the authority of the church and empire. But ironically, he was not at all asserting the freedom of the individual to do as he pleased. He was asserting the freedom of the individual to do as God pleased—if and when the church or state attempted to abrogate that freedom. Luther was asserting the modern idea of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience for the first time in history... Luther called upon every Christian to cease the petty obedience to church that was nothing when compared to the freedom and joy of actually obeying God” (221).

Martin Luther wasn’t perfect and he got some things wrong, but I have to admire someone who took a stand for what he believed Scripture taught even though it got him condemned as a heretic by the official church and put him at risk of being burned at the stake. Many today would rather be popular than theologically correct. We can easily choose to let people hold onto lies that will bring eternal condemnation rather than risk our reputation before men.

We have benefitted from Luther’s work: we have the Scriptures in our own language; we have a multitude of churches to choose from; we can join in musical worship of many different styles; we have the right to disagree with theologians, and many other freedoms. So what will we do now?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Worship in Truth

Once in a while in a worship service I have the thought, “Why am I singing this song? It’s the opposite of what I feel right now.” One song that I often have a hard time singing is “He Has Made Me Glad.” I realize that feelings aren’t everything and that there are many reasons to have joy in Christ even when we don’t feel glad, but you have to admit that many songs draw on emotional imagery and ideas to convey their message. So I may end up feeling like a hypocrite for singing words that don’t describe me at that particular time. (I’m assuming that the selected songs have correct theology.) I think there are several truths to consider.

1) Worship is commanded.

“Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!” (Psalm 96:9 ESV). “Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name” (Psalm 30:4). “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

The biblical authors never said, “Worship if you feel like it.” However, it should be noted that worship is ascribing worth to God, which means recognizing and communicating what is true about God. It is not necessarily an emotional display or an expression of how we might feel at a given moment. Worship is about God, not us.

2) It’s not always appropriate to sing.

“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion… How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:1, 4).

In the context of this verse, weeping was more an act of worship than singing would have been. The Israelites remembered the Promised Land, and no doubt they also remembered their own sins that brought them into captivity in Babylon.

3) Worship is more than singing.

“…When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). “…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).

Worship can take many different forms, and I think churches obscure the truth when they label the musical portion of a service as “worship” and they have “worship teams” whose duty is to lead the music. Prayer, giving, and receiving biblical teaching are all elements of worship.

4) We impact one another.

“…not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). “…addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Ephesians 5:19).

As we gather together, some people are joyful, some are sorrowful, some may be eager to sing, others may yearn for prayer. We are to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2) and “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). At times that may take the form of singing words that reflect the experiences of someone else in order to remind all of us who God is and why we can find peace and joy in Him.

I have a bit of a problem with the statement from Kierkegaard that “God is the audience.” I understand that it is a necessary corrective of the idea that the congregation is the audience. However, I think it can lead people to think that worship is an act that we have to perform for God’s benefit. The fact is that God does not need our worship, though He deserves it, and we don’t have to invite Him to come to the performance. And as the above Scriptures say, we are called to gather in corporate worship for the mutual benefit that it brings to all of us. God should be the focus of all worship, because He alone is worthy, but as His Body we need one another as well. We need the frequent reminders of truths that are best communicated through worshiping together.

So it may often be that we sing songs that are theologically true even though they may not feel true on a particular day. Hopefully those who are selecting music and Scripture readings are considerate of the wide variety of experiences and emotions that are represented in a congregation from week to week. The psalmists certainly acknowledged both the ups and downs of life, and we should do the same. God is present in the valleys as well as on the mountains, and so we can worship Him wherever we may be in life.

“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” (John 4:23).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. 

Creation Celebrates

The other day I heard the song “Carol of the Fryers” for the first time this season. I was moved by it, and not just because I have a soft spot for animals. It made me think about the fact that barn animals may well have been the first witnesses to the birth of Jesus, and I see no reason to think that they would not worship their Creator. Years later at the Triumphal Entry, Jesus would say, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:37 ESV). All of creation is made to give glory to God. It is only mankind that has the choice of whether or not we will bow in worship to Him, though one day that too will change (Phil. 2:10). If the shepherds had not heeded the angelic message and the wise men had not followed the star, there would still have been worshipers to greet the King of kings. If the people were missing and the animals were silent, the very stones would have cried out.

Psalm 148 (ESV)

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise Him in the heights!

2 Praise Him, all His angels;

praise Him, all His hosts!

3 Praise Him, sun and moon,

praise Him, all you shining stars!

4 Praise Him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For He commanded and they were created.

6 And He established them forever and ever;

He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

8 fire and hail, snow and mist,

stormy wind fulfilling His word!

9 Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

12 Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for His name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up a horn for His people,

praise for all His saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to Him.

Praise the Lord!

Have a blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of the King of kings and Lord of lords, Prince of Peace, our Savior and our God!

© 2016 Dawn Rutan

Gathering to Worship

Recently www.DesiringGod.org has posted a series of blogs on worship. As I was rereading some of them I had the thought, “How do we move from gathering together to worshiping together?” There are plenty of times when Christians gather and no worship takes place, even in so-called worship services. It’s tempting to blame the music, preaching, environment, and everything else under the sun. I think the root of the problem is that our focus is on the wrong person. David Mathis writes:

“The answer is that our focus should not be self-consciously preoccupied with how we’re being strengthened or what grace we’re receiving. Rather, our focus together is the crucified and risen Christ, and the incomparable excellencies of his person and work. Which illumines all the various spiritual disciplines. Corporate worship is a means of grace not when we’re caught up with what we’re doing, but when we experience the secret of worship — the joy of self-forgetfulness — as we become preoccupied together with Jesus and his manifold perfections” (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/kindle-the-fire-in-corporate-worship).

Worship, in essence, is thinking highly of God and responding appropriately to His glory. But how can we think much of God when we are busy thinking about ourselves? It does take effort to refocus our attention, and worship is called a spiritual discipline for a reason. It’s not typically something that can be learned through one hour a week. If we spend the rest of our waking hours thinking about everything but God, then that’s where our thoughts will naturally go. Certainly the music, prayer, and preaching can help to redirect our thoughts to the One true God, but there are also times when we encounter God in spite of everything that might distract us.

I wonder how often we go to church and expect to encounter God there? I confess that is not usually in the forefront of my thoughts and desires on a Sunday morning (or any other time). I expect to be welcomed and encouraged by my brothers and sisters in Christ. I expect to be edified by the preaching and teaching. I expect to praise God in song and to express my needs in prayer. But I don’t really expect to be moved to worship God and experience His presence. During the week I pray that the service will draw people to God, and that the sermon will be God’s words that we need to hear at this time. But I don’t often think about worshiping the Lord “in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).

Perhaps that is due in part to our overly familiar image of Jesus as friend and confidant. The majesty of Jesus illustrated in Hebrews 1 is often foreign to us. On one hand, it’s good that we know we can trust God with all our problems, needs, faults, and failures, and we can talk to Him at any time. But on the other hand, it is difficult to worship One who knows us so well and yet still loves us. We tend to focus on His love to the exclusion of His holiness, supremacy, strength, and majesty (among other attributes).

I, for one, need to adjust my expectations for “worship services”—to remember more of Who God is and actually believe that He’ll show up, not because of anything we say or do, but because we are His children and He desires to speak to us. I suspect that questions of “worship style” would become irrelevant if we all came to church expecting to meet God. And the fact is, He’s there whether we acknowledge Him or have some experience of His presence or not.

Zephaniah wrote: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One Who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (3:17 ESV). May that knowledge lead us in turn to rejoice and exult over Him, and truly worship our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord!

“Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 29:1-2).