Thriving Amidst the Danger of Worship

by Glenn A. Griffis

Some of the great worship events of scripture are substantially different from what the contemporary worship movement brings to the church. In many biblical worship events solemnity precedes celebration(2 Chrn 7:8 - 10). Contrition and corrective discipline is common in biblical worship  (Ezra 10; 1 Cor 5:9-12) Often worship leaves us prostrate before the Lord (Jd 13:20;Rev 1:17). In the Bible worship diminishes man and blesses or extols God. 

Isaiah saw the Lord "in the year of King Uzziah's death." Uzziah was a "righteous, godly, prosperous King," who thought his accomplishment made him worthy to lead worship. He usurped the role that belong to the priests alone. The great popular godly King Uzziah was struck down for making himself central in worship. (Is 6:1). When reflecting on the godly, righteous servant of God dying as a pitiful leper Isaiah is terrified at his vision of God's holiness. Yet what I see in much contemporary worship is much of the same self aggrandizing, frenzied enthusiasm for what God has done in our lives this week. It is not as much about glorifying God as it is about showing off how special we are because he has noticed us. What he did for me somehow makes me great. The message some worship leaders convey, “is be like me, and God will like you.” While such productions may draw crowds, make us feel warm,  winsome and safe. Authentic worship leaves us naked afraid and trembling before God. Much of our congregational worship lacks the basic ingredient of authentic worship: worship is a dangerous thing!

Too often I hear people who lead worship saying they want people to 'feel safe." I can think of know place in the scripture where God's visitation of man creates a safe space. Most people who encounter the Holy God of scripture fall before him in fear for their lives. Many of those who lead contemporary music in the evangelical church base their action Jesus's words in the Upper Room as

the belief that when we praise Jesus he reaches people with the gospel:

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32 ESV)

The way this is usually cited is that what Jesus was saying was that if he was "extolled or promoted. or proclaimed," that the Spirit would draw people to the gospel. The mood becomes the message. If the worship leader provides a rich, syncopated, fervent participatory experience with our music or liturgical elements the Spirit into draws people to a wonderful rich transforming experience of the gospel. So God visits his people based on the quality of worship. The gospel becomes a performance. Church's hire "worship leaders or Worship Ministers" because we equate with proclamation of the gospel. We give musician prophetic authority because of their talent. Changed lives seldom has anything to do with worship. In some settings worship is design to engage the senses, giving a person or congregation the sense that God approves them, regardless of the theology of the music or the content of the character. So I have one question for our congregational leaders, If worship is the medium that brings revival why preach? What value is it? Why even have pastors and elders?

Much preaching sounds like a history lesson with a Bible verse and an application attached. Many of the stories are confusing or deal with experiences that post modern people don't experience. Besides the Bible is not very warm and fuzzy. After all what is the relevance of the first nine Chapters of First Chronicles to the single Mom who may lose her minimum wage job because she is unable to repair her broken down 2002 Chevrolet Cruz to get back an forth to work. So we hire somebody to make her feel good, take her mind off her problem, stir her confidence. We lift Jesus up he will reveal her predicament to someone else in the congregation who will stop her on the way out of service and make provision for the repair. While we all long for this kind of community the verse in no way connects them to worship. The song may have poor theology or reinforce wrong expectations, but we seldom care if it is during what we colloquially refer to as “worship.” This is part of the tension between more traditional congregations and contemporary one.

Most of us carefully review the hymns we sing. We know that the average hymnal has some things that are profound, and some things that are pablum. We are careful and discerning about what we use in a service. But try suggesting a different song from what the worship committee has planned. Try suggesting that we refrain from using the latest gospel hit because of its “convoluted theology.” It may not go so well. In some settings we have so separated the music from the message, that ultimately the musical portion becomes about us. The problem is we have elevated these “worship leaders” to be teachers and preachers when there is no inherent anointment in talent. Musical ability can never substitute for biblical authority. I've never liked the term “Worship Pastor.” It is oxymoronic.

The verse is in an entirely different context. As Jesus and his disciples enter Jerusalem for the Passover Mary anoints his body in preparation for his death (John 12: 1-8). A plot is hatched to kill her brother Lazarus whom Jesus has just risen from the dead (12: 9-11) followed by the Triumphal Entry where Jesus is honored as King (John 12: 12-26). The result of all of this is that Jesus' spirit is troubled (12:27). He prays for God to "glorify his name," and God answers him in an audible voice:

27“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. (John 12: 27- 33).

John explains that these words were reference "to his death," how he would die and what it would accomplish. It was to be in his death, that father and son, would be glorified, "all people" drawn to him. "Lifting up" is a reference all the events that would end in his ascension and glorification but especially to his being "lifted up" on the cross. It reminds of an earlier use of the same term:

13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:13- 15 ESV) After disobedience and complaining about the wilderness journey God sent snakes into the camp of the people of God to judge. People were dying of snake bites. After repenting of their sins and praying to God for relief Moses created a bronze snake for the people to look to  for salvation. The snake was a representation of the promised defeated serpent who would over come sin. The people would look to the coming Messiah for the forgiveness of their sin.

In Jesus death on the cross "all people are drawn to him." It is a declaration that in the cross that Jesus bridges the enmity between God and man. As all men are were separated from God at in the garden the cross would break that curse, and draw all men back toward him. God's glory is revealed in the dark reality of Christ's death, and the humble messiah on the donkey rather than in the fervent celebration of his entry into Jerusalem. Jesus enters the city on a lowly donkey to be crucified on a brutal cross, and that is the "lifting up" that draws all people to him. Jesus' submission to his Father and his glorification of him took place on a dangerous path that lead to his humiliation and death then his deliverance in resurrection. Worship is a dangerous thing. 

Worship that avoid the cross and the danger it entails is counterfeir. We teach our small children to stay off the street. We purchase insurance policies to assuage the risk of life's perils. Yet danger is a part of our life. Most of us climb inside a two ton machine and drive it at high speeds in order to accomplish our daily work, and our simplest recreation. Wires are strung throughout our houses carrying an electro-magnetic impulse that if misdirected in the slightest way could erupt into a raging fire. Every breath we take put us closer to the danger of death. Life is unsafe. It is a process that is destined to fail, a process that will eventually come to an end. Worship connects a man imperiled in sin with a holy God. The essence of worship is danger.

Any encounter with the living God is dangerous. Isaiah was terrified in God's presence:

4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6: 4-5). Ezekiel fell on his face "Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking."(Ez 1:28 b). Although Moses was allowed to know God's sacred name and see his glory. Moses was prevented to see God's face, because it put his life in danger:

18Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”  

When the ascended glorified Christ is seen in the New Testament his image is of might and power and his presence is dangerous. (Rev 1: 9-20; 5; 14: 14-20; 19: 11 - 16; 21: 5- 8).If there is one thing we know about Biblical worship. It is that it is neither comfortable nor safe. It confronts, it convicts; it disturbs. Worship unsettles us. Worship takes a risk. 

So I submit that in much of our “worship is performance” oriented contemporary services. We are acting as those God is impressed with our fervent excitement and is entertained. When we separate the participation form the proclamation, calling the former worship and the latter teaching, we leave fail to see our inadequacy or his worthiness. Although worship can and often us lead us to celebration and contemplation, entertainment, fervency and reverent moods are not worship.

So then how do we recover worship? How do we thrive in its danger? Paul makes it clear that living worship is drawn from the Word. "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. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3: 16 & 17) Notice the word of God dwells in us corporately in three venues teaching, admonishing and singing. In worship proclamation and praise are always connected:

When we assigned the first half of our liturgy to worship directed by a worship leader, and the second half to proclamation given by a preacher our focus is convoluted. When we separate the two as distinct functions and ministries we diminish both. The word dwells in us through admonition, teaching, and singing together. But what do we sing -- hymns or choruses, contemporary or traditional, Mercy Me or Issac Watts? What instrumentation do we use organs or electric bases, drums or piano? Do we use Responsive Readings, or Creative Dance? The scripture leave it to an expression of our own culture and tradition it only gives three qualities 

First we corporately sing, "the psalms;" We are called to sing the scripture corporately. Most Christian throughout history have been unable to read. The scriptures were written to be heard and embraced through reading, proclamation and singing. Nothing connects the scripture to the human heart and mind better than putting it to music. 

Second, we sing hymns.  The scripture is full of hymns. The Psalter is a hymn book. Romance is depicted in the "Song of Songs." Revelation is full of singing. We think of hymns as music published in a score and bound in a hard back book, but Paul had something else in mind. Hymn is theology and doctrine put to music. There are some Christian musicians today who have deep theology. People who would not take the time to read a voluminous theology can be transformed can understand the truth in song. 

Third, we sing the spiritual songs. I call the spiritual songs. The feel good songs. The words, the music, the rhythms, the syncopation makes us feel good. They remind us of our hope. Together we rejoice. Yes our services should give us hope, and send us into world refreshed, rejoicing and redeemed.  

Vital worship includes a balance of corporate proclamation and praise. And over emphasis on one element leave a void. It involves the people together singing a balance of psalms, hymn and spiritual songs. A lack of any of the three is an imbalance. Worship becomes a dangerous thriving adventure when God richly dwells with us in our corporate experience. So how can we make worship thrive? Worship is above an expression of relationship. It is not a performance where we come together to impress God. It takes constant Spirit lead work, and prayerful attention for a church to have vibrant worship week after week. 

So how do we thrive in the danger of worship? It seems to me that there are some questions that those who are responsible for worship are constantly asking:

1. What is the relationship between those parts of worship that the congregation participates in and the proclamation?

2. Is the gospel clarified and taught or reflected in everything said or done?

3. Do the words and the mood of worship elevate God or do they elevate our experience with God.

4. Is worship reflective of the teaching and monition of the word of God; is there balance in each and every service between scripture songs, theology and spiritually uplifting songs?

When Christ dies on the cross he will be lifted up the redemption that uplifting accomplishes will be the means through which he draws people to himself. God is not the audience approving or disapproving the performance. Far from being a "verb" that is active participation worship causes us to stop dead in our tracks, to fall on our face before God. This performance model of worship that much contemporary worship has built us on centers on making human beings "feel good. Christ centered worship creates and experience of the cross that enables the corporate body to thrive amids the danger of worship.