BLOG 9/11/16. TRUE WORSHIP CAN DISTURB YOUR LIFE!

There’s a tradition abroad, deeply entrenched, that true worship is to be a pleasant aesthetic experience that takes place in comfortable locations decorated for such … “candlelight and unreality” as one wry observer described it. Such a concept needs to be seriously de-mythologized. Anne Dillard colorfully described such people in church as seemingly “like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute … having not the foggiest idea of what sort of power they so blithely invoke.” (Teaching a Stone to Talk, p. 40. 1988 ed.)

Stop for a moment and research the source of the most traditional progression of worship in the Christian world, much of which is some kind of a development coming from the Roman Catholic mass (that will surprise some Protestants perhaps). It’s true. Somewhere back there when the church was forming its traditions for that time which the Christian community would spend together as the people of God, the church landed  (maybe morphed ) on the progression which is set forth in Isaiah’s encounter with the Lord “high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6)

But then, put that in context. Isaiah was evidently something of a significant person in the power structure of Israel—maybe a member of the king’s court. His king, Uzziah, had just died and Isaiah was in grief, and so resorted to the temple. In the larger context the nation was not living out its covenant calling faithfully, and there were all kinds of aberrations and violations in their intended role as a holy nation in the community of nations. So Isaiah, in his grief, resorted to the temple—probably anticipating a time of quiet reflection in the familiar setting.

But the unexpected thing happened: … rather than a time of quiet meditation he is confronted by a consuming, terrifying, and overwhelming vision of the thrice-holy God “high and lifted up,” and as if that weren’t enough there were angelic seraphim flying about crying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” … And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke (Isaiah 6:1 ff.). The purpose of this was to confront Isaiah with such an unmistakable and irresistible calling into a whole new life and mission … that he couldnt’ deny it.. Result? It “blew him away.” It was inescapable and he could never be the same after that.

So the progression that the church adopted (with variations) out of that passage is a progression for our times which we call worship. It begins with 1) a vision of God, then 2) the confession of how far short we fall, i.e., confession. Then, 3) the Lord absolves our sin and cleanses us. Ah! but 4) then the Lord issued Isaiah (and us) an invitation to engage in His mission: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” 5) Then Isaiah responded by giving himself in dedication to the Lord’s mission. And finally, 6) the Lord gives Isaiah his missionary instructions, his teaching for his life’s task. Such is the progression of a very large segment of the worship liturgy in the world’s churches. (Actually, the eucharist is considered an act of dedication to mission.)

But stop and realize that our encounters with God are with a God who is intensely engaged, and never passive, in saving His world, in making all things new, in causing His kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Look at every encounter of human-kind with this God and it always has a mission attached to it, … right down to Jesus calling men and women to follow him, and to whom he ultimately gives to all of them his commission to “go make disciples” in all of the corners and back roads of this creation. We never meet God in isolation from His mission, for which mission he gave His Son. Our worship is never, never to be candlelight and unreality. It is always a time to be in the presence of the Missionary God and to be re-charged, or re-evangelized, and refreshed for our engagement in His mission in the “Monday morning world.” Otherwise, it is false worship! Worship can be dangerous, you see, …it bodes well to disturb your life!