The Worship Tour

This is Part 4 of a series. If you want to catch up:
Part 1: Excuses and the way we've always done it
My personal Struggles with doing the same ol' thang.
Part 2: You've Got to Have a Plan
Laying out a Plan to view the Church in a different light.
Part 3: Turning over the Tables
A radical Christ that we often forget

Many refer to being a firefighter as being more than a job...many even say it's a lifestyle. Firefighters work together, bbq together, and spend much of their lives together. To most firefighters, the time spent on the job leads to a life-long relationship off the job. One interesting thing that I have noticed is that this theme carries throughout shift firefighters, on call firefighters, and volunteers. If a fireman simply attends a fire call then goes home without the connection to the men and women with whom he shares that experience, one can hardly call that a lifestyle. If, however, a firefighter knows the intimate details of his fellow responders' lives outside the fire station... then, it is a lifestyle.

What is worship like in our congregations? Is it a simple event, like the obligatory fire call, or is it a lifestyle, more similar to the bbqs and time outside of the fire station?

Before I attempt to answer that question, I would like to embark on an explanation of previous forms of worship. Some of those apply today... some, not so much. I'll call this our "Worship Tour."

Worship in the Old Testament
While I lack the space to fully detail what worship looked like in the Old Testament, I wanted to hit a few high points. Often, when someone worshiped in the Old Testament, it referred to prostrating oneself in honor of God. Worship was done in many other forms too. Sacrifices, First fruit giving, and songs of honor were all considered worship acts.

David's Worship
We have all read the Psalmist's amazing songs of worship to God. Many of these are attributed to David. In the context of his life, we see an interesting trend. David worshiped God in times of desperation. There are also vibrant songs of worship that may or may not have been written during the struggles of David's life. All in all, it is apparent that David worshiped God at the highest points and the lowest points of his life.

New Testament
Especially in Jerusalem, people in Jesus' time often attended worship at the temple. There are passing references that suggest reading scriptures and preaching/teaching were routine items on the agenda. Some references suggest that early Christians attended Jewish synagogues as well as meeting in homes for times of worship. Later in the new testament, it appears that Christians worshiped in song, teaching, service, etc. More references on the early church later...

Now
We have seen a whirlwind "Worship Tour" of some of the forms and types of worship that God's people have presented to Him in the past. Currently, there are those who live communally and call it worship. There are others who attend a Sunday gathering and call that "going to worship." There are even others who believe both work together in harmony. There is no doubt that God desires as much a diverse range of worship styles as the subjects he created to worship Him! I do, however, want to look not at the act of worship itself, but at how we view it.

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I firmly believe that we have mis-defined what worship IS, therefore argue about how worship is DONE. I often fill a section of my blog with multiple Scriptural references around a similar point, but today I think it is easy to point out our misunderstandings of worship with one verse: Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Just prior to the "Therefore" is the Doxology, which simply states our place in his order ("Who has been his counselor?") and then reminds us that "from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." In other words, if we ignore the man-defined chapters in this passage, we see that God is ought to be worshiped, therefore we worship him through our lives.

Whoa... if you are like me, your mind probably gets lost a little in some of the language of the scriptures. That is okay... we can take a point which seems complex and break it down. In fact, the passage above actually clarifies something we have been arguing about for centuries. Rather than argue about specific acts of a general group of actions that can all be described as worship, how about giving respect to the one who created  the diversity of the people from whom these worship acts pour out.

I am more and more convinced by the day that arguing about whether certain worship acts are more appropriate than others is just as ignorant as arguing whether a Schnauzer is more dog than a German Shepherd. 

Many use references from the Letters to describe very specific and contextual methods of worship then try to state that it must be copied verbatim even in our time. I don't say that in an attempt to denigrate the importance of the Scripture's references to early Church worship. No... rather the opposite. I see it as a great honor to have such a vast and encompassing description of the ups and downs of early Christians. That is one of the things that has great application for today's followers of Christ. 

So, is worship a simple event? Or is it a lifestyle?

How about... Both. There is an event which occurs every week across the world. Many call it worship. It is; however, if people mis-define it as being The Worship rather than a form of Worship, they are sadly missing some of the greatest worship experiences. Many events can be worship, though if an individual's--or a group's-- definition of worship is centered around an event of any sort, they are likely missing the boat. Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is serving others. Worship is singing. Worship is a Saturday afternoon bbq. Worship is the way you treat the clerk at Wal-Mart. Worship is life.

Turning Over the Tables

If you missed the first two posts in this series, I encourage you to catch up on them at the links below:
Part 1
Part 2

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Fire service, no doubt, has changed. If you have read anything I have posted, you know that change is a common theme. For many years, firemen literally fought fires. That is what they did. At some point in history, people figured out that firefighters would take on additional roles if the citizens desired. So, a whole new fire service was born. Firefighters now respond to high angle rescue, vehicle rescue, structural and urban rescue, medical services, hazardous materials incidents, and much more. Yet, while the world expects so much from these men and women, some fire departments are being tragically left behind; consequently, towns are left without adequate care according to national standards.

We could argue and never reach conclusion as to why this occurred, but the bottom line is that it just did. Honestly, the rapid change, for some, must be like a sonic boom, where a jet blows by at or above the speed of sound, leaves a deafening thunder-like clap, then leaves the crowd staring into the blue sky wondering what just happened. Sometime after a sonic boom, the crowd begins to disperse and few stop to think about what just transpired. In fire service, that deafening sonic boom is the sound of the entire world changing. The lull after the sonic boom is simply the sound of being left in the dust. I am believing more and more that, for so many fire departments, responders are simply lacking the perspective of how radical the change in fire service has been.

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Temple worship had become despicable in God's eyes. Many wondered if God would ever speak to them again as he had to the prophets of old. An upper echelon of rich men seemed to rule the faith communities like a class of religious "good ol boys." There were faint cries of a so-called Messiah, but many argued whether that was even the case. Then some crazy guy wearing fur and living in the desert starts stirring people up about a coming Savior. The tide had just turned. Then, a Savior was born and leaders began to take notice of a young boy, born in a stable in Bethlehem. Others ignored the signs.

Approximately 30 years go by... then, a man takes a group of misfits and outcasts and turns them into a group of leaders. Sonic... BOOM. For the next few years, this man named Jesus gained so much traction that Jewish leaders everywhere were plotting and devising methods by which they might kill this man.

Two thousand years later, we attend a Sunday morning event which pays homage to this man and his life, death, and consequent resurrection. Something has GOT to be missing. What did I skip in this story? What was so radical in that 30+ year period in time where we now worship Jesus in a building on Sunday instead of listening to the teachers of the law speak at the temple?

I believe, sadly, the truth is that we have failed to grasp how radical the story of Jesus is. Furthermore, I think we have failed to respond with the same radical movement. Here are a few examples.
Pre-Jesus: Those who believe in God gathered to worship in temples.
Now: We gather on Sundays at an event we call Worship.
Pre-Jesus: Jewish leaders intermingled with politicians and popular political movements.
Now: Christian leaders often are quoted attempting to beat others politically rather than win them over for the Kingdom of God.
Pre-Jesus: Status Quo.
Now: Same ol', Same ol'
Pre-Jesus: Rabbis and other men are the scholars and are respected as having greater value in the story of God.
Now: What do we say to the laymen when just a handful of "talented" men stand on a stage and talk at the crowds?
Pre-Jesus: Sick and homeless are left outside the temple.
Now: I pass homeless men on my way to Church wearing clean clothes in my clean car... stopping off for coffee on my way.
Pre-Jesus: Intelligent people sit around and argue about doctrine.
Now: Hmmm...

I get almost sick sometime when I try to pinpoint which character in the Jesus story best fits me. More often than not, especially if it relates to doctrine and methodology, I look more like the ones that Jesus called the "brood of vipers." Ouch.

We all know there is far too much church-bashing that happens among people of my generation.  I sincerely hope that this posting has a tone that is much removed from those who simply want church to look and feel their way. That's just simply ineffective and counterproductive. I simply desire to pose a question. What image of Jesus is most needed in this day and age? Is it the gentle sound of temple worshippers... or do we need a SONIC BOOM?

If you answered the latter, like me, then you might be wondering a few things:
Where is the Jesus that turned over tables in anger at the commercialization of God?
Where is the Jesus that screamed the seven woes in desperation at God's followers?
Where is the Jesus who broke all the rules if only to help one crippled woman? And a shriveled hand?
Where is the Jesus who knew that listening to the Words of the Father could cost him his life?


If you have been following with me the last few weeks, you know that I have been struggling with the Jesus I read about in Mark when compared to the Jesus I grew up knowing. Could these two men possibly be one in the same?

Brothers and sisters, the point is this: Before we must take on a fresh viewpoint on our Mission in this life, we must take a serious look at the man whom we are to imitate. That man was a radical. Are we radicals?

Much like the sonic boom described above, there is a crowd hearing the words of Jesus. That crowd is called the Church. The words and story of Jesus are a radical, immediate shift from the way things were to the way it shall be. Will you be the one staring in the wild blue yonder and get left in the dust? Or will you embrace the shift to a new radical lifestyle and take part in the Kingdom?

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Need further reading on this topic? I have been working through the book below. I encourage you to join in with me.