Obnoxious to my nostrils (Isaiah 65:1-5)
I don't think I could have gone to the show - I think it would have been 'obnoxious to my nostrils' (Isaiah 65:1-5). Now funny smells are interesting things - apparently my feet stink (sometimes) but the stink creeps in gently throughout the day and by the end of the day I'm used to the smell so I do nothing about it. So to begin - I shouldn't go around telling other people that their feet stink when mine do too. But - critical conversation is key to authentic Christianity:"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. "
- Colossians 2:8
It might not stink to you - you're used to the smell. So if we point out smell stuff to each other - we might all end up going in the right direction.
Isaiah's tirade in Isaiah 65:1-5 is about idolatry and superstition. God has said (gracefully and preveniently):
"'Here am I, here am I.' All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations -" - Isaiah 65:1-2
This is the problem - God has revealed himself very clearly, simply, perfectly and beautifully in the person and work of Jesus. You don't need to go looking. You don't need a new and special revelation. You don't need a new anointing or impartation - you just need open eyes. Jesus says 'Here I am'. All you need is the simple word of the gospel. No laser lights or gimmicks. No going out into the wilderness to find him - or in the secret rooms - as obvious as lightening across the heavens. (Matthew 24:24-26)
Jesus is raw. Jesus is obvious. Jesus is pure. Jesus is a little bit complicated. Jesus makes us uncomfortable. Jesus obviously and directly calls us to love all our neighbours - even the foreign ones. He directly threatens the rich man with hell for not tending to the beggar at his gate (Luke 16:19-31). He calls those who serve the poor 'sheep' (promises them heaven) and those who ignore them 'goats' (promises them punishment) (Matthew 25:31-46).
There is no need for imagination when it comes to Jesus. Unless he makes you uncomfortable. In which case - a bit of imagination will be necessary - you will have to re-imagine Jesus in your own image. According to your likeness. I have to confess that I am guilty of often doing the same. But God says:
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” - Matthew 17:5
We're meant to listen to Jesus. But instead we listen to our 'opinion' of him. Or we latch on to this or that pastor's opinion. We invent a new God; a watered down God. An entertaining God. A crowd pleasing God. An easy God. We sing easy songs that seldom mention our 'wretchedness' we pretend that we have no sin. We end up imagining a Jesus who does not judge us - who only loves us.
Our vision of the Kingdom of God is more about getting to heaven than it is about heaven on Earth. We try to live our lives on a diet of donuts, pizza and coke; we live on a sugar buzz - but we don't want to eat our vegetables - especially at church on Sunday morning.
And so we end up with worship that has little to do with Jesus - although we often mention his name; but only on our terms. "My Jesus, my saviour..." We want songs that make us happy. Jumpy, joyful songs about all that Jesus can do for you.
Worship is Worship Practice (Revelation 7:9-12)
John's experience of heaven in Revelation 7 helps Christians to see how things really should be (on earth as it is in heaven). Gathering together in church. Taking communion together. Is a 'foretaste of the divine heavenly banquet'. Worship is a chance for us to practice being together in a community of diverse people. Worship is a chance to practice justice among this diverse bunch of people - of different financial and social status. Of different colour skin. Of different language. You might as well get used to it - because that is the way God is leading us.So, on Earth we mimic heaven.
I remember a profound heavenly worship moment. As a teenager I joined the Methodist Church; and because those were the Apartheid days I was only exposed to the white part of the Methodist church. I had seen a few 'Manyano' women at church - meeting at 3pm (time off for domestic servants on a Sunday afternoon). Our church participated in something called a 'celebrate Jesus march'. We jumped on the back of a truck and sang worship songs as we paraded through town to a large stadium.
We filed into the stadium. The local megachurch had provided the biggest sound system available; with a band of the most skilled worship 'leaders'. We filed in - church after church after church. But there was still a lot of open space.
Last of all - women in red uniforms started to file in. The local megachurch led a few well known choruses. The women in red uniform (Manyano) kept on coming. Until they had filled the other half of the stadium.
They did not know the songs that the megachurch knew. The Manyano were quiet. But eventually worship had to burst out of them. I watched (and chuckled in pride) as the giant speakers and the praise band blared in frustration - totally drowned out by the hymns of the Manyano... They did not have a chance.
And the Manyano had no worship leader. No praise band. Just several thousand hearts and voices overwhelming the stadium with songs I did not yet know. And the deep pounding rhythm of 'bump bumps'. The gentle sway of red and white.
Revelation 7 describes no worship leaders. Just a multitude worshiping God in beautiful wholeness. Angels falling on their faces before the throne. With the grain of the universe. The only spectacle is God himself.
I think most of us white Christians gave up and moved out on that day. The worship was not according to our taste...
Practicing Worship
Simple Style (Revelation 7:10)
If we are practicing for heaven. And trying to practice heaven. We must ask whether our worship (and our worship events) reflect heaven.Ancient churches focused in on the altar - the church's meal table. The choir at the back - or in the front but facing perpendicular to the congregation rather than 'at' the congregation. Choirs are quite a modern thing.
Nobody was worshiping the sacrament. They were remembering Jesus' body... the lamb that was slain "For the lamb at the center before the throne will be their shepherd." - Rev 7:17 But the table where communion was to take place was a focal point. With a cross on top of it.
Most hymns were simple and derived from the Psalms and Canticles (Hymns like Mary's song and various chants from Revelation) in scripture. When organs and four part harmony were brought in it was very controversial - they were seen as too worldly and extravagant.
Simplicity forces us to focus our hearts and minds not on personalities or gimmicks - but solely on God.
Music is allowed to flow from the heart of the congregation; in unison. Prayer that is sung; with the whole body.
Community (Revelation 7:9)
All of this means that every worshiper gets lost in the crowd. Revelation 7:9 describes a vast crowd; all wearing white robes, from every language tribe and nation - no individual is picked out (and I imagine that among those thousands there are bishops, popes, presidents, prostitutes, Methodists, Catholics all lost in a crowd of equals before God.)Can we as a church embrace this simple heavenly way of worshipping God? Can we take the focus off the 'worship leaders' and the speakers, lights and AV stuff? When we worship God can we ask ourselves honestly 'what pleases God' not 'what pleases me?'
And think that heavenly worship involves community.
When we pray 'On Earth as it is in Heaven' we should look at the body of Christ around us and wonder why this is not a "great multitude... from every nation, tribe, people and language..." - Rev 7:9
And then we should ask ourselves: Why is my community mostly this or that language? Why is it mostly this or that colour? What can we do to change this? We should ask: Who is missing? Why are there no geologists here? Where have the doctors gone? Why no rubbish collectors? Where are the school teachers? Where are the nurses?
My Favourite Smell
I have to confess, the smell that least offends me is the smell of my own feet. But worship accompanied by lights, AV effects, that celebrates celebrities doesn't seem to be a good reflection of that which is in heaven.I also must let you know that I stand up in front of church every Sunday and lead the singing with my guitar - accompanied by a band of singers and musicians.
I'm not sure how we could make them less conspicuous? Could we squash them to the side of the church? What could we do?
And is it about whether the smell offends my nostrils?
