Evil in worship?

I've been more underwater than above it lately, swamped with writing deadlines (and falling behind in them). So my blogging has suffered. That stinks, because life has been full of blog-worthy events of late. For now, I pass on a question I posed to a fellow worship leader recently:
Where's the "evil" in our worship?

Studying Isaiah in depth this semester, the concepts of evil/wickedness/injustice occur as frequently as those of righteousness and goodness. The two go hand in hand, complimenting one another. [I'm not arguing that the universe is dualistic (like "the force" or the yin/yang of Eastern mystcism). It's not. There is only one power (Creator God) and creation (sustained by Him). Neither am I arguing for worship to equally address Satan and our Lord.] However, that people value the cross only as much as they understand their need of it. We appreciate forgiveness only as much as we comprehend our offense. Our view of grace is only as big as our view of sin. God's holiness in view of man's wickedness, etc. The one who loves much is the one who knows he's been forgiven much.

Thus, where is mention of evil in worship songs? Or wickedness? Or suffering, for that matter? They are intertwined theologically and ideologically. So why do they never comingle in worship of God? Why not mention the war when giving glory to our Deliverer? Where is mention of the fire, when giving thanks to our Rescuer?

Happy worship lyrics may feel good briefly, but evaporate quickly for lack of substance. At best, modern American worship seems quite incomplete. At worst, it's become idolatry—a self-centered service to comfortably fulfill our needs. If today's worship songs are devotively vanilla, perhaps it's because they they tell a only half the story. Maybe the struggle of life (so prevalent in the Psalms) is essential to reveal God's glory in fullness.

Looking forward to your thoughts.


PS. In going through my archive of worhsip songs/hymns, Martin Luther provided the strongest example of putting the "evil" in worship. In this hymn, notice how his lyrics described God, evil, the devil, and the redeemed all in proper context. The result is robust worship:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever!

Got idols?

I'm writing on Isaiah this semester, so be forewarned that this seer's biblical theology will be informing my thoughts in coming months. Below is a quote I won't have room for in my book, but is worthy of discussion.

"Idolatry is Isaiah's primary concern about us. This is offensive, because we thought we left idolatry behind centuries ago. But Isaiah, who understands the power of God, also understands the power of non-gods.

It works on our minds. Every day we shift our deepest fears behind amusements, professional achievements, and even lesser fears. As we drive slowly around a car accident, we think, "It wasn't me" to distance ourselves mentally. We think, "They must have been driving recklessly," because blaming is reassuring. We sense how vulnerable we are.

But any evasion of plain dealing with God is idol-manufacture.

And we do not let go of our idols easily. In heaping our idolatries together, we assemble a culture—a brilliant, collaborative quest to prove ourselves. ... Ignoring and forgetting is why we hold this banquet called the American Dream.

... Our cheery but demanding idols, with their empty promises, are failing us. The fact is, death watches us, stalks us, takes aim, and shoots straight.

- Raymond C. Ortland, Isaiah.

Any thoughts? Or would you rather shift this discussion behind some amusements?

- Cory

What are we really worshiping?

Imagine that you go to a restaurant to meet a dear friend for lunch. Afterwards someone asks you, "How was your lunch?"

How might you answer?

"Well, I got there early, but a friendly hostess chatted with me while I waited. The food was fantastic and the waiter did a great job. The ambiance was OK 'cause the background music was a bit loud. But they had a great dessert menu. Overall, it was an excellent lunch."

One problem. There was no mention of the friend you went to meet in the first place.

To me, this can all too easily be church today. Many times when I ask people, "How was worship this morning?" they reply with answers like this:

"The people were friendly." - Hostess
"The sermon was fantastic." - Food
"The preacher did a great job." - Waiter
"Didn't like the worship music." - Ambiance
"There are so many neat ways to serve and plug in at that church." - Desserts

What happened to the dear Friend we went to meet in the first place? Remember Him? ... the Lord God Almighty?

Isaiah 1 sends a wakeup call about worship. The "good" nation (southern kingdom, Judah) worshipped God by the book, but God loathed their offerings. Why? Their sacrifices were plentiful, but sin-stained, resulting in God's judgment and spurning of their prayers.

God hates worship tainted by sin as much today as He did millennia ago. Like Isaiah, the Apostle Peter taught that our prayers could be hindered by sin. So it's possible that Christian worship, though it may be "by the book" of our worship tradition, be something God resents. The cause could be unrepentant sin, but perhaps the problem is that the objects of our worship aren't God. Perhaps we're too busy being caught up in other things at the "restaurant."

I'm not saying people aren't trying. Perhaps it's all we know. After all, God is mentioned over and over again during our services (in songs, Scripture prayers, etc.). All I'm asking is, "Wouldn't personally serving the Lord God Almighty leave enough of an impression to dent our conversation afterwards?" Do we leave church having truly encountered God in worship?

I'm not placing the blame on how various church traditions design a worship service (that's another conversation). I just think that, if we leave a service talking about everything but our Lord, there's a problem. We may have missed Him sitting across the table the entire time. Maybe something blocked our view ...

Followers of Christ shouldn't be going to church to be entertained, impressed by a spiritual hero, exalt an institution or movement, or even to glean more truth (which we already have in full in our own personal copy of Scripture). Since it is a worship service, we should be there to serve God in worship.

According to Isaiah (ch. 6 particularly), personally encountering God should have an effect on us. People who leave church without any mention of God on their tongues likely missed the whole point of going (and maybe the entire point of human life). It's not to know about God, but know God Himself (there is a big difference). A worship service isn't for appreciating accutriments pointed in God's direction, but for encountering the living Lord.*

(*FYI, I am intentionally not defining what a spiritual encounter with God looks like. Jesus encountered people in countelss ways based on their need at the time, so it's likely the Lord does the same today with each of us at different times in our lives).

May our worship leave us more than just musing,
"That sermon could have used more salt,"
or "I prefer music with less spice ..."