On My Mind...
Donald McCullough mourned its practice in the mid-nineties. J.B. Phillips warned of its dangers in the mid-sixties. Tozer railed against it in the forties. R.A. Torrey and others sounded the alarm at the turn of the 20th century. Phillips warned that our God was too small. Torrey and company called for a return to fundamental truths. McCullough decried the “trivialization of God.” They all amount to the same thing – a pulling God down from the lofty heights, to which he belongs, and remaking him in our image. Most preaching today reveals a God who is understanding of our weakness and very sympathetic to our bent towards perversion. More of a doting grandfather than a holy judge. Much of today’s “Christian music” sounds more like a top 20 love song than an expression of holy adoration and reverent worship. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not at all suggesting that only music written 300 years ago is appropriate for worship. Neither am I suggesting that nothing worthwhile has been written in the last 30 years. I am suggesting that there has been a general loss of wonder and awe.
Oh, we sing Our God is an Awesome God and I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene, it’s just that we are not awed, and we do not stand amazed. They are merely words. We have lost the wonder. Amazing Grace has become routine. Our worship is matter of fact. We have “handled” sacred things to the point they are no longer sacred. This is why we are to cultivate a “child-like” faith. Not a childish faith but a child-like faith. A child-like faith is the kind of faith that can look at something for an hour without losing that sense of wonder. And child-like faith leads to glorious worship. Glorious worship does not demand bells, whistles and show-stopping music. Glorious worship is a heart matter. I would encourage you to take some time today or later this week and reflectively read through Psalm 114.
Spurgeon called it “sublime.” Derek Kinder says it recalls the Exodus, not as a familiar event from Israel’s past but rather as an “astonishing event: as startling as a clap of thunder, as shattering as an earthquake.” As the Psalmist reflecting on the Exodus, and God’s subsequent pilgrimage with His people, he rejoices in God’s deliverance and His dwelling with His people (1-2); he celebrates God’s protection and gracious provision (3-4); and trembles before God’s majesty and might (5-8). It is easy to get comfortable with the things of God. Worship can be like a favorite shirt. We slip into it comfortably and wear it with ease. That is why we are to worship with our whole heart, mind and strength. We do not just sing the words of the hymn, we give thought to what we are singing. We do not just hear the words of the prayers or the message, we engage with those words. We are not passive observers of worship but active participants. Most importantly, we recognize that all of this is done Coram Deo, “in the presence of God.”
Have a blessed week and I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod
Oh, we sing Our God is an Awesome God and I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene, it’s just that we are not awed, and we do not stand amazed. They are merely words. We have lost the wonder. Amazing Grace has become routine. Our worship is matter of fact. We have “handled” sacred things to the point they are no longer sacred. This is why we are to cultivate a “child-like” faith. Not a childish faith but a child-like faith. A child-like faith is the kind of faith that can look at something for an hour without losing that sense of wonder. And child-like faith leads to glorious worship. Glorious worship does not demand bells, whistles and show-stopping music. Glorious worship is a heart matter. I would encourage you to take some time today or later this week and reflectively read through Psalm 114.
Spurgeon called it “sublime.” Derek Kinder says it recalls the Exodus, not as a familiar event from Israel’s past but rather as an “astonishing event: as startling as a clap of thunder, as shattering as an earthquake.” As the Psalmist reflecting on the Exodus, and God’s subsequent pilgrimage with His people, he rejoices in God’s deliverance and His dwelling with His people (1-2); he celebrates God’s protection and gracious provision (3-4); and trembles before God’s majesty and might (5-8). It is easy to get comfortable with the things of God. Worship can be like a favorite shirt. We slip into it comfortably and wear it with ease. That is why we are to worship with our whole heart, mind and strength. We do not just sing the words of the hymn, we give thought to what we are singing. We do not just hear the words of the prayers or the message, we engage with those words. We are not passive observers of worship but active participants. Most importantly, we recognize that all of this is done Coram Deo, “in the presence of God.”
Have a blessed week and I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod