Definitely Not Boring

{I started this post as a response to the question, “What is worship?” posed by Stephen Simpson at the CSM Forums. Check out the site for some great conversation.}

I hear so much talk these days about how just singing some worship songs and hearing a sermon has gotten stale, boring. How we need to expand our creativity in services and come up with new ways to experience God. And while I think it is valid to seek to be creative (God is the most creative Being of all), I think we miss the point of worship. I think we could all agree that the worship life of the early Church in Acts was vibrant and definitely not boring. But we see from Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church that it was very simple: Chapter 14 talks about gathering, singing a couple of songs, having words of prophecy, tongues, etc.. This is so simple. You don’t really need a producer for it. Do we need special lighting* for the Holy Spirit to come in power and heal broken hearts?  When He comes – how could that possibly be boring?

So what is worship?

There are so many “right” definitions of worship that you can read in so many amazing books. But my favorite way to discuss worship is to talk about what happens when I worship. What happens when I come into the presence of the living God and see just a glimpse of who He is. So often I can’t even stay on my feet. I have to fall to my knees and then that’s not even good enough. I’m on my face. He is so great, He is so wonderful, that nothing I could say or sing or do would even be close to enough. All I can say is, “You are worthy. You are worthy.” That is the place we truly worship and that is the place I want to be as much as possible. If more believers (and unbelievers) could have those encounters, disagreements over style and music would take a backseat to the main event: His magnificent presence.

Definitely not boring.

*I don’t have a problem with “production” as an avenue for someone to use his or her gifts, but these elements become the focus too often.

Gifts and Kindness

So I’m almost done with the second of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, Blink. I have thoroughly enjoyed this one as well as the first: The Tipping Point. This morning on the train I found myself getting emotional in some passages that aren’t really meant to be emotional. I was trying to figure out what in the world it was that was affecting me and I have a hunch. The passages in question are quoting experts in their field. A military expert, a police expert, a psychological expert, and so on (Blink is about rapid cognition — the two second decisions we make with our unconscious mind). My theory is that people using their gifts to their full potential moves me.

I know that’s kind of odd (I’ve been accused of that before :). But it does. Most people like to see an athlete be the best in the world. We even celebrate the exceptional high school football player that will most assuredly play college ball. But I have this soft spot for all kinds of disciplines: science, medicine, government, and, of course, music. There’s something about seeing a talent, an ability, a gift come to fruition in someone’s life. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.” That’s what I feel happening when I read (or watch, or hear) about people who are using their gifts. Their gift is making a way for them.

Romans talks about the kindness of God and how it leads us to Him. The gifts God gives people are evidence of His kindness and it draws me to Him. How kind is He that he gave me the gift of playing music, of writing songs, of leading His people in worshiping Him? How kind is He?

This is for unbelievers as well. Romans 11:29 declares, “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” Even if someone is far away from Him, he gave them abilities and He does not take them away. This is why I disagree with Christians who say we shouldn’t listen to “secular” music, movies, or other entertainment. God gave the gift and I’m celebrating Him by enjoying it in another person – believer or not!

What is even more amazing is that God set us up to seek out our gifts, to discover our calling. We all want to know what we were created for. You see surveys all the time that illustrate the sky-high percentages of people who are dissatisfied with their job and want to do something else. If only they could make a living from their passion. I believe God put that desire deep down in us so we would seek out our gifts and how to use them. In that process we would discover Him – the Giver of gifts, creator of kindness.