Get Back To Where You Once Belonged

Make ready with the handcuffs. Grab the butterfly net.  You should know that I take a size 48 straightjacket but would prefer a 50 (it’s roomier). I am about to suggest something that  A.) will sound like a grand waste of time, B.) is dangerously unorthodox, C.) is frighteningly out of my comfort zone, or  D.) all of the above.

We modern-day believers need to become better acquainted with church history.  All of church history. There. I said it, and I can hear the sirens now.  Those nice men in the white coats will be here momentarily.   

Why do I suggest this?  There are probably several good reasons that I haven’t even thought about, but I want to mention three that are most top-of-mind for me.

One is historical/theological.  We 21^st century evangelicals often operate as if Jesus came, the New Testament was written, the church was born and then, BOOM -  we arrived on the scene (with maybe a nod given to the Reformation and some other cool events and people in between).  It doesn’t help matters that our faith is also laced with a strong note of American we-can-do-it-ourselves individualism.  So, although we may have an awareness of church history, in a practical sense we almost completely ignore some 1500 years of it, at least.  Granted, some of it is not pretty to be sure – even shameful.  But, as is true of our own families, it is where we came from and much is to be learned about who we are, what we believe and why, and where we are headed.  Our roots go far deeper than the birth of the modern evangelical movement and exploring them can be very rewarding experience.

Another is devotional.  Over the centuries reams of valuable insights have been written about Christian spirituality. Ignoring these works (as I did for many years) only impoverishes us. It may come as a shock to some that current writers like Max Lucado, Rick Warren and Donald Miller (good as they are) do not have it all figured out.  In fact it is safe to say that consciously or not, most modern devotional writers draw from their ancient counterparts. There is a wealth of rich spiritual literature available from Tertullian, Augustine, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila and scores of others. Their lives and writings offer experience and wisdom that can speak directly to my growth in Christ today.

Finally there is the communal aspect of this. Examining the history of the Christian church reminds us that we are part of a 2000-year stream of pilgrims who have gone before us.  Since the letter to the Hebrews has been written, that great cloud of witnesses mentioned in chapter 12 has seen a population explosion.  It is powerful to realize how strongly we are connected to them and they to us.

I am part of the evangelical tradition and I love my local church. But every now and then I have to disappear into a “high church” service (Catholic, Episcopal), in large part to join up with those who have gone ahead of me.  I need to step into that stream of history and connect, to offer worship in the very same way they did. To repeat the very words my ancient brothers and sisters repeated. To hear the very same Scripture readings that believers around the world heard on that given Sunday in the church year.  Entering the structure of the historical Christian church strengthens my faith by linking it to the centuries, and linking me to my spiritual ancestors on whose shoulders I stand (as well as my Christian family around the world). It reminds me of my true place before God and in history.

I will probably have more to write about this in future posts, but for now the best way I can sum this up is with section from the liturgy: Therefore with the angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Thy glorious name; ever more praising Thee and saying, Holy holy holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory: Glory be to Thee O Lord most high.

All together now.....

What - No Hot Dog?

I have a great childhood memory of my dad taking me to Yankee Stadium to watch Mickey Mantle play. I remember that Mantle hit some towering shots, but I remember so much more – the sights, the sounds, the smells. The hugeness of the stadium.   Even the taste of the ballpark hot dog. Though I cannot recall who we played or who won, as we were leaving I remember saying “Wow – what a great game!”

Over the years, I have heard Christians (including myself) leaving church services or praise and worship gatherings evaluating those events in almost the same way. “What a powerful worship experience!” etc. Or, sometimes the opposite.  

We live in an age dominated by branding and marketing, and so we look for ways for our faith to operate in a consumer culture. Even the Gospel has been packaged and pedaled, boiled down to a few verses (usually of the “turn-or-burn” variety) or some pithy summary.   Yet when Jesus preached the Gospel, he had a lot to say about a lot of things. Salvation, certainly but also prayer, compassion, the nature of the world, how we are to interact with one another and a host of other topics. The fact that God physically entered human history turned everything on its ear, and as a result, these issues and more all became part of the Gospel Jesus preached. It was too far-reaching and radical to be condensed down to a slogan. Yet, we often respond to the inward or outward pressure to simplify, package and brand our message - both to ourselves and to our community and world.

One area where we often see this in action is in the idea that we have to provide people with a “positive worship experience” at our church.  In our consumer culture, we are aware that people will rate a church service like they might rate a concert or a play.  It affected me, or it didn’t.  I got something out of it, or not.  And whether we recognize it or not, the need to please consumers has crept into our thinking and planning to a huge degree.  

When someone approaches worship expecting to be entertained, then they can feel justified in judging the experience. “It was a great service”; “That church really knows how to worship”, etc. Or, “What a stiff, boring service”; “They really don’t understand what true worship is about.” As a result, they feel like can now assess that church’s spirituality. 

I am pretty sure this is not what Jesus had in mind when He said “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24).  Maybe a particular flavor of worship at a specific local church doesn’t suit me. That’s perfectly natural and legitimate.  But it doesn’t give me the right to judge.

I play on a worship team.  I can fall into this kind of thinking as easily as anyone, and often do. Now and then I can feel some subtle pressure (totally self-inflicted) to make sure our singing time is powerful and Spirit-led – or at least to make sure it looks that way.

The truth is, worship is not an experience I can create for someone else.  I can’t market it.  Nor should I try. In stark contrast to the spectator mindset, the biblical picture of worship has to do with an act that is initiated by God and that we engage in. It is a responsive offering that we make. We give worship. And corporate worship is simply the act of two or more believers coming together to offer glory and honor to almighty God.   It has absolutely nothing to do with soaking in an experience created by someone else for our enjoyment. That is foreign to Scripture and would seem completely backward to most of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us over the past 2000 years or so.

If you are a church leader or teacher, try to keep a biblical definition of worship in front of your people.  Worship is not to be evaluated or absorbed. It is to be given.  Each of us is to offer it to God freely from our heart, without reservation.  And God who sees our heart will meet us there.

And, if you attend a church but are not “getting anything” out of your church’s worship experience, here’s an idea – try worshipping.