Juggling with Jelly

The heart of worship?

Today two different bloggers put up quotes on worship. One from Soren Kierkegaard (on Jim West's Biblical Theology blog) that said

In paganism the theatre was divine worship. In Christianity the churches have generally become theatre. How so? Like this: people find it pleasant and not without a certain enjoyment to commune with the Most High via the imagination once a week like this. But nothing more.

and the other from C H Spurgeon (via a link on Donnie Hiltz, III's Parable of the Blog-Net) that said

When I have heard of large congregations gathered together by the music of a fine choir, I have remembered that the same thing is done at the opera house and the music hall and I have felt no joy. When we have heard of crowds enchanted by the sublime music of the pealing organ, I have seen in the fact rather a glorification of St. Cecilia than of Jesus Christ.

(Though I have also pasted in Spurgeon's next sentence.)

These quotes require serious consideration. What should our corporate worship be like? Do we need fine choirs to sing to us or with us? Are we merely actors in church? (And what was it that Jesus is reported as saying in the Gospels about hypocrits?)

The other day someone emailed me a quote from the Orthodox Presbyterian Book of Church Order

As a service of public worship is in its essence a meeting of God and his people, the parts of the service are of two kinds: those which are performed on behalf of God, and those which are performed by the congregation. In the former the worshippers are receptive, in the latter they are active. It is reasonable that these two elements be made to alternate as far as possible.

Although an Anglican I see great merit in those words.

Unfortunately those parts are generally neither receptive nor active for me. Corporate sung worship has the same emotional and spiritual responses with me as does the community singing at large sporting events. Nothing. Similarly with liturgical spoken worship. Ordained clergy dressed in unusual clothes reciting words at me. Leaves me cold. Maybe Kierkegaard, Spurgeon and I could have worshipped together with us his people meeting God. If only ...

posted by Trevor Jenkins @ 8:55 pm