4/30/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Christianity has long valued singing and playing of instruments in praise to God. This is a decidedly good thing. It’s mirrored in many public events and celebrations, such as the singing of a national anthem before a sporting event, a group of baseball fans singing “Take me out to the Ballpark,” and the chanting that happens spontaneously in rallies, political events, and, most certainly, college football games.
In Christian worship the singing has always been centered on the person and work of God in Christ. This is what we see in Psalm 98, where the content of the praise to God is His victory and his shows of redemptive love.
What happens when we divert our attention from this message? When Christ’s people start rejoicing in the singing, or in the instruments, or in their own ability to express themselves before God, they always fall into decline. After all, if our worship is about us rather than about God, we ultimately find the object of worship to be lacking. Oh, it’s fun to sing and dance. But why do we do it? We need a reason or the act itself become unfulfilling.
In some settings the biblical truth expressed is just fine and the musical expression is fitting to the rest of the content. Yet our attitudes can throw a bucket of water on the fire of the Holy Spirit. In other settings we may find ourselves making deeply emotional expressions of virtually nothing. This is also vacuous. It will fall apart quickly.
Do we want a concert? Then we should go to a concert. Do we want to sing the praises of God? Then let us do it, wholeheartedly, unreservedly, in Spirit and in truth, as the Psalmist does.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Christianity has long valued singing and playing of instruments in praise to God. This is a decidedly good thing. It’s mirrored in many public events and celebrations, such as the singing of a national anthem before a sporting event, a group of baseball fans singing “Take me out to the Ballpark,” and the chanting that happens spontaneously in rallies, political events, and, most certainly, college football games.
In Christian worship the singing has always been centered on the person and work of God in Christ. This is what we see in Psalm 98, where the content of the praise to God is His victory and his shows of redemptive love.
What happens when we divert our attention from this message? When Christ’s people start rejoicing in the singing, or in the instruments, or in their own ability to express themselves before God, they always fall into decline. After all, if our worship is about us rather than about God, we ultimately find the object of worship to be lacking. Oh, it’s fun to sing and dance. But why do we do it? We need a reason or the act itself become unfulfilling.
In some settings the biblical truth expressed is just fine and the musical expression is fitting to the rest of the content. Yet our attitudes can throw a bucket of water on the fire of the Holy Spirit. In other settings we may find ourselves making deeply emotional expressions of virtually nothing. This is also vacuous. It will fall apart quickly.
Do we want a concert? Then we should go to a concert. Do we want to sing the praises of God? Then let us do it, wholeheartedly, unreservedly, in Spirit and in truth, as the Psalmist does.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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