Worship charades

Today: Isaiah 1-4

As much as yesterday's passage was the feel-good and lovey-dovey, today's is the back-to-reality, "tell it like it is" instruction. Isaiah was a prophet. Throughout Scripture, prophets tend to present God's Word in a way that's straight-up honest. It's not always easy or comfortable to read, but it can change us today like it transformed people in past generations.

This part of the passage--about what the Message version refers to as "worship charades" really struck a chord with me. Take a look:

"Quit your worship charades.

I can't stand your trivial religious games:

Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—

meetings, meetings, meetings—

I can't stand one more!

Meetings for this, meetings for that.

I hate them!

You've worn me out!

I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion,

while you go right on sinning.

When you put on your next prayer-performance,

I'll be looking the other way.

No matter how long or loud or often you pray,

I'll not be listening.

And do you know why?

Because you've been tearing people to pieces,

and your hands are bloody.

Go home and wash up.

Clean up your act.

Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings

so I don't have to look at them any longer.

Say no to wrong.

Learn to do good.

Work for justice.

Help the down-and-out.

Stand up for the homeless.

Go to bat for the defenseless..."

Wow--I don't think it's possible to get much more straightforward than that. God was calling His people out on their hypocritical actions. They were praising Him with their mouths and even doing some of the right things (going to church, praying, etc.). But it was absolutely disgusting to Him because their hearts were not in the right place.

When we read this passage, I think it's also important to note that "worship charades" can come in various forms--people put on shows of hypocrisy in settings that look humble in nature (e.g. small churches, stark decor, traditional-style worship, etc.) and they put on shows of hypocrisy at megachurches with lasers, bands and dry ice. On the flip side, I believe that genuine worship can also occur at a small, traditional church and at a megachurch service that resembles a rock concert. "Worship charades" are not created by external factors, but by messed-up hearts and motives.

In this passage, I think God was expressing His frustration at people who "just didn't get it." Loving and serving Him is not about putting on a facade of a picture-perfect life--it's about genuinely loving Him and loving others. Meetings, worship and prayer are absolutely meaningless if they are simply done for looks. It's worthless to check a box that virtually says, "I did my Christian duty for the day," while showing a total disregard for heart issues. Charades involve acting. Genuine worship is submitting to God, giving Him honor. It's serving Him and others by living a life of love.

Tomorrow: Isaiah 5-8

When God's House became a ghosttown

Today: Nehemiah 12-13

Here's a very sad story from today's passage: God's House became a ghost town (again). Take a look at Nehemiah's words here:

And then I learned

that the Levites hadn't been given their regular food allotments.

So the Levites and singers who led the services of worship

had all left and gone back to their farms.

I called the officials on the carpet,

"Why has The Temple of God been abandoned?"

Why was the House of God abandoned?

God's people neglected to give...so the Levites (the equivalent of pastors/teachers/church leaders) couldn't dedicate their lives to full-time service. Instead, they had to abandon the work God had called them to so that they could survive.

The good part of this story is that God's House didn't remain a ghost town. Nehemiah came back, called the people out on their neglect and set things right. God's House was never designed to be a ghost town. It was always intended to be a place of giving--a place where people give in worship to God and a place where simultaneously, God gives us glimpses of His presence.

Tomorrow: Esther 1-5

The worship family

Originally written March 15

Today: 1 Chronicles 6

This chapter describes the people dedicated to worship—including the Levite priests and worship leaders. It also describes how God and His people provided land for them. This chapter really doesn’t have much to say about the priests and worship leaders, but I think it’s interesting that before the Israelites had a royal family, they had families dedicated to serving God’s Tent/Temple and leading them in worship—they had a worship family.

The fact that God established a nation that way says something about who He is and what He likes. He likes to be first. He likes to have people dedicated to worshipping Him. Today’s churches don’t have worship families because ultimately, I think God wants all of us to be worshippers who love serving Him and His house.

Tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 7-8

Fake and praise

Today: 2 Kings 15-17

I'm getting ready for a trip to a sunny destination. I've decided not to "fake and bake" in a tanning salon, so I'm trying self-tanning lotion. It looks pretty legit for the most part. But the first time I put it on, I had definitive lines between my snow-white skin and the faux glow. Not cute. I'm not normally into fake stuff, but when it comes to self-tanner versus wrinkles, faux glow is the way to go (does that sound like a really sick cheer or something?). :)

I'm not a fan of fake and bake...and as I read today's passage, I thought it's clear God isn't a fan of something I'll call "fake and praise." Take a look:

They don't really worship God—

they don't take seriously what he says

regarding how to behave and what to believe...

God made a covenant with his people and ordered them,
"Don't honor other gods:
Don't worship them, don't serve them, don't offer sacrifices to them.
Worship God,

the God who delivered you from Egypt in great and personal power.
Reverence and fear him. Worship him. Sacrifice to him.

And only him!

All the things he had written down for you,

directing you in what to believe and how to behave—

well, do them for as long as you live.

And whatever you do, don't worship other gods!

And the covenant he made with you, don't forget your part in that.

And don't worship other gods!

Worship God, and God only—

he's the one who will save you from enemy oppression."
But they didn't pay any attention.

They kept doing what they'd always done.

As it turned out, all the time these people were putting on a front

of worshiping God,

they were at the same time involved with their local idols.

And they're still doing it...

This passage piqued my interest for a few reasons. First, I'll say that faux worship is often something you can't see in other people. Sometimes, people are criticized as being "showy" in their worship when they might be genuine--or vice versa, they're criticized for being too stoic when they might be very sincere as well. Fake praise is not always visible. It's often a heart thing.

That said, faux worship has to do with more than what the modern church often labels as worship (e.g. singing during a church service). In this passage, God defined worship as behaving and believing in line with His instructions--that's a lifestyle. It's living for God exclusively every day instead of living for ourselves or an idol (which could really be anything that takes God's place in our lives).

Let's stop the fake and praise--it's even worse than wrinkles and the faux glow of my orangey hands as I'm typing this. :)

Tomorrow: 2 Kings 18-19

The details (and freedom) of worship

Today: Exodus 28-29

When was the last time God told you what to wear to worship Him...down to the details of your underwear? Anyone?

I didn't think so.

That's exactly what really happened to the priests we read about in today's chapters, though. (There are lots of other details mentioned, but the wardrobe choices definitely got my attention.) Similar to our last few days of reading, God gave very detailed instructions for those who wanted to worship Him.

As I read this passage, I thought how much many modern day Christians take for granted. Because of Christ, we have free access to God--we can worship Him in our homes and cars. We can talk to Him as we sit in cubicles or ride commuter trains to work.

That's pretty incredible when you recognize that at the time today's passage was written, most people couldn't talk to God directly. At all. Even the priests had to go through very labor-intensive procedures to worship. They followed God's precise instructions...or risked losing their lives. And animals were sacrificed on altars as offerings to pay for the sins of people.

We don't have to do those things today because of Christ's ultimate sacrifice. Yet often, we take His gift...and the freedom we have to worship...for granted. I'm not saying that worship today should be an "anything goes" kind of thing--the Bible has a lot to say about worship. But our free access to talk with God wasn't free. It came with a price. And for that, I am truly thankful.

Tomorrow: Exodus 30-32

Get this party started...

(Originally written November 12)

Today: Revelation 17-19

If we did a survey, I bet that most people believe that church is…well, kind of boring. They see it as a place for people who are reserved. Stoic. Solemn. And maybe church should be those things at times…but shouldn’t it also be fun? A celebration of God and His awesomeness?

Perhaps nowhere is this tension more obvious in a service than during praise and worship. I’ve been to some services where I’ve honestly asked, “Would Jesus want to be here? Would He feel honored by this?”

I’m not going to write about worship styles, songs or instruments in this post. But I will say that no matter what your preference or the preference of your church, God likes to be celebrated—and He deserves it. Celebration is largely an attitude and approach to worship—you can celebrate God in a song, in your giving and in prayer—but you’ve got to put your heart in it.

Here’s what today’s passage said:

Praise our God, all you His servants,
All you who fear him, small and great!...
Hallelujah!
The Master reigns, our God the Sovereign-Strong!
Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him glory!

Tomorrow: Revelation 20-22