June 11, 2007
Out of Character
There are some things that just aren’t in a person’s character or make up. Maybe they can’t sing, they’re too shy to pray out loud or too nervous to speak at a microphone. During the worship service I’ve seen many who are uncomfortable with clapping, raising holy hands and being moved by the spirit of the worship leader. Actually, I find it a form of bullying when a worship leader stands at the pulpit and “encourages” the congregation to become more charismatic. Now that’s what I’d call a bully pulpit.
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Gail;
-----Look at the Word of God from its overall perspective. It is a message about lines, and it is a call to cross those lines. Some of the realms divided by the lines are those who are known by Christ - those not known by Christ, an eternal destiny of life - or of death, love - hate, humility - arrogance, others orientation - self orientation, etc. Christians often are hung up so much on knowing Jesus, having life after death, and considering love that they do not realize the maintenance of a sincere, other-acknowledging attitude requires careful thought and hard practice.
-----I know what you mean by this “encouragement” from the pulpit towards the charismatic. Careful thought recognizes that there are currently three broadly accepted notions about the Sunday morning gathering. One relates to solemn, reverent worship done decently and in order from a contemplative, humbled mood. Another relates to joyful, exuberant celebration harmoniously turned loose from a thankful mood. And finally, a growing number of folks are realizing the need for a combination of both atmospheres in the service. When the doors are opened to the public, and whosoever -will does come, these three attitudes are going to be seated in the congregation.
-----I don’t want to sound arrogant, but my three decades and four years of Bible study and attempted obedience has led me to conclude that the Word of God is first concerned with the condition of the reader’s soul. And I have come to perceive that condition to be: saved, humbled, and oriented towards others rather than self. In fact, I am coming to see the orientation issue to be tell-tale evidence of the existence of humility, which is necessary for having ears to hear the salvation message. And although the lines within the world of the heart are very blurry, the Word portrays the line as being definite. And as such, the things that are produced from and the things that are akin to the one or the other also fall on their respective side of the line.
-----Therefore, I have always tended to expect the leaders in the church to produce and exemplify the attitudes which exude other-orientation as evidenced by what they do and what they promote. But, to have seen the leaders of the church stand before a gathering of people who are mixed in attitudes of worship and celebration and forwardly promote the one while aggressively squelching the other was to have seen a flashing, red, warning light. Do these leaders not know that through their commitment to Jesus Christ they are committed to serving all of Jesus Christ’s brothers and sisters without partiality? Or do they just not care? Either way, it reflects badly upon their qualifications to serve Jesus Christ as leaders, because the other-oriented/self-oriented line is a fundamental spiritual division. It is simple to grasp with only basic reason. If these leaders were truly other oriented, then their promotion from their platform of attention would not be about their own interest in celebration. It would rather be about the congregation’s interest, which is usually mixed. And for the leaders to say celebration, or reverence, or a mix is right for any reason is to presume upon himself a position of judgment beyond what is written. That is very tell-tale of self-orientation.
-----Is it not more important for the leaders to lead the congregation into other-orientation than into styles of celebration? Is not the one fundamental to abiding in Christ while the other is simply an expression of the person? Is not the one necessary towards all while the other is just one of numerous attitudes toward God? Is not promoting a single attitude above the rest being self-oriented? So then, why do we allow people to be leaders who are so far off base from the fundamentals that their influences are actually across the line? Are they really the best whom God could have chosen, or are we just led to believe so? Personally, I believe the leaders of the church should be up to a good Scriptural challenge when, going in the wrong direction, they cross a Scriptural line.
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