Consuming... but not consumed

Sign recently seen on a street corner in Macon, GA: “Gospel Idol Auditions: Call 1-800-hot-shot.” (OK, I made up the phone number, but the rest is real.

Whatever happened to “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me? Has that become blasé in our culture today?

It seems that everywhere you look our culture is embracing celebrity Christianity. You can’t drive through any major metropolitan area without being confronted by Pastor and First Lady Smiles Alot gazing down upon you from 25-foot-high billboards. You can’t turn on cable or satellite television without the anointed man or woman of God rehearsing what God is doing THROUGH them. Or how about this one? God has given us a vision for a World-Wide Center of Gospel Propagation and Falling Glory Ministries. Never mind that there is another “World-Wide Center” on the next block. Or that there’s a homeless person outside the front door with nothing to eat. (Yeah, I’m a little cynical.) And to go with the World-Wide Center of Gospel Propagation and Falling Glory Ministries, there is the anointed Praise and Worship show (excuse me)… Team.

It seems that just about every church now offers some form of “contemporary or modern worship” in their weekend services. Even mainstream bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Borders carry a selection of Contemporary Worship. In fact, in recent years, the demand for contemporary worship music, worldwide, has grown at such an exponential rate that the Time-Life Warner Worship Series (sold through TV ads) has become their number one selling series of all time; surpassing Elvis and the Beatles.

You might be saying to yourself, “Well, isn’t that a good thing?” And, in fact, the Church’s active embracing of “Contemporary Worship” has brought a great amount of new found spiritual life into many congregations and fueled resurgence in the Arts as an acceptable and desirable form of worship. However, this new found acceptance of contemporary/modern worship has not come without its dangers and distractions.

One of the most prevalent dangers within modern/contemporary worship is a growing attitude of “consumer worship” among church attendees. Simply stated, “Consumer Worship” occurs when members of the congregation get caught up in the “show” of the worship band and begin to view the worship time as an event, much the same way music fans view a concert of their favorite artist or band. When this happens, the congregation steps away from actively participating in connecting with God and instead moves toward a spectating and evaluating mindset.

Many church-goers, I fear, are seeking an experience. “For a time will be when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts, they will heap up to themselves teachers tickling the ear; and they will turn away the ear from the truth and will be turned aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

We have been leading worship for more than 20 years, but what many now call Praise and Worship has become top-40 radio tickle-my-ears!  Internet ads for worship leaders now read "Your worship style includes artists such as Israel Houghton, Darlene Zschech, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and Paul Baloche" (an actual ad!).  We have become consuming instead of consumed.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines worship as "the reverent love and allegiance accorded a deity, idol, or sacred object." The Greek words for worship combine the ideas of "falling down before," "paying homage to," and "serving." From these definitions it is obvious that worship involves recognition of worth in God, and the offering of our honor, praise, and adoration to the One who is altogether worthy.

To worship genuinely is to know God. To know God genuinely is to be in a king/subject relationship with Him. In worship we acknowledge God's kingship in our lives and His right to rule over us. Worship is for God's benefit. He has the center stage. During worship we yield ourselves to God's rule and dominion.

Many Christians misunderstand the purpose of congregational worship. Many times our congregational worship has become an experience in which man is the focus. Worship has deteriorated into an "I didn't get anything out of that sermon" experience. Man has become the object of his own worship. He is there to be entertained and spiritually massaged. It hardly occurs to some that worship is primarily a matter of God receiving something FROM us: our praise, adoration, and confession of dependence on Him as our Sovereign.

So—are we consuming? Do we worship because it makes us feel good? Puts us in the mood? Prepares us for the Word? (Ouch!)

Or—are we consumed by the Presence of God? Listen to this eye-witness testimony of the Azusa Street Revival:

Friday, June 15, at “Azusa,” the Spirit dropped the “heavenly chorus” into my soul. I found myself suddenly joining the rest who had received this supernatural “gift.” It was a spontaneous manifestation and rapture no earthly tongue can describe. In the beginning this manifestation was wonderfully pure and powerful. We feared to try to reproduce it, as with the “tongues” also. Now many seemingly have no hesitation in imitating all the “gifts.” No one could understand this “gift of song” but those who had it. It was indeed a “new song” in the Spirit. When I first heard it in the meeting a great hunger entered my soul to receive it. I felt it would exactly express my pent up feelings. I had not yet spoken in “tongues.” But the “new song” captured me. It was a gift from God of high order, and appeared among us soon after the “Azusa” work began. No one had preached it. The Lord had sovereignly bestowed it, with the outpouring of the “residue of oil,” the “Latter Rain” baptism of the Spirit. It was exercised, as the Spirit moved the possessors, either in solo fashion, or by the company. It was sometimes without words, other times in “tongues.” The effect was wonderful on the people. It brought a heavenly atmosphere, as though the angels themselves were present and joining with us. And possibly they were. It seemed to still criticism and opposition, and was hard for even wicked men to gainsay or ridicule.

When the music fades
And all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You 
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You 
It's all about You Jesus

From "The Heart of Worship
Words & Music by Matt Redman
Copyright © 1999 Kingsway's Thankyou Music/
ASCAP/Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing