Worship warsa is a sad new term in Christian dialogue. It is hard to imagine anything more discouraging than Christians actually fighting over the subject of worship. But it happens. aWara may be too emotive a word to describe what has happened, but askirmisha is a little on the weak side, given the emotion generated by the issue.
The problem has its roots in the tendency to equate music with worship. Not many years ago, song leaders gave way to worship leadersa"with little discernible difference in function. People old enough to remember song leaders may sometimes wonder about their metamorphosis into worship leaders and all that is involved in the change. Of course, music has been and continues to be a powerful means of expressing praise and of communicating a message. It is a legitimate aspect of worship. But worship is much more than music and involves more than praise.
Perhaps the central question, and the biggest cause of strife, is, aWhat precisely const.i.tutes worshipful music?a To a large extent, the differences of opinion on this issue are generational. Younger people have been raised in an era dominated by a powerful music industry that fills every waking moment with music, most of it contemporary. So their musical tastes have been firmly fixed in place, and they often have little knowledge of, or interest in, music that is not contemporary in style. Meanwhile, the older people, having been raised on achurch music,a view the new styles with varying degrees of suspicion and rejection.
So what to do? The psalm writer gives us some clues. First, he said, aLet the G.o.dly sing with joy to the Lorda (Ps. 33:1). Music has a mandatory place in worship, and it must be addressed to the Lord. Second, the psalmist encouraged the people to asing new songs of praise to hima (33:3). So there is a place for contemporary music. But third, the music should be done wella"musicians who aspire to lead worship should learn to aplay skillfullya (33:3). Fourth, song (or worship!) leaders should constantly bear in mind that their songs and everything else in their worship should be based on athe word of the Lorda that aholds truea for everyone regardless of musical taste or generational preferences (33:4).
The only war the church is commissioned to fight is the war against evil. The only restriction on the churchas style of worship is that it be compatible with truth. The only explanation for worship wars is that the evil one has deflected our focus. So letas get back on track.
April 3
TO READ: Genesis 7:1-24
Noah and the Flood
Finally, the day came when the LORD said to Noah, aGo into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteous.a Genesis 7:1
One of the most ancient pieces of literature known to man is called the Gilgamesh Epic. Gilgamesh, the hero of the story, was a king who did not want to die. So he traveled to see a man named Utnapishtim, who had reputedly survived a flood. According to the story, this tragic flood had been brought about by the G.o.ds, who were angry that the human race was multiplying so rapidly and was so noisy that the G.o.dsa peace and quiet was being disturbed. However, not all the G.o.ds were in favor of this afinal solutiona to the problem of noise. One of them, Ea, broke ranks and warned Utnapishtim of the impending tragedy. Forewarned, Utnapishtim built a boat and with his family escaped destruction.
This ancient story has been preserved for millennia on clay tablets. The interesting thing about the story is its remarkable similarities to the Noah accounta"and the striking dissimilarities to it. No one knows which version of the flood story was written down first. Clearly, though, these stories reflect a historical event, which was handed down verbally and then recorded. But there the similarity ends! The Gilgamesh story is all about squabbling, petty, selfish deities who reflect the sordid actions and att.i.tudes of the men whose imagination created them. The biblical account records the gracious actions of the holy G.o.d, who is deeply distressed at human sin, and how he reaches out in grace, saves Noah and his family, and makes a solemn pledge never again to destroy the earth with a flood.
According to the Gilgamesh Epic, when Utnapishtim saw the weather worsening, he got into his boat and battened down the hatches. But according to the biblical account, Noah heard the Lord command, aGo into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteousa (Gen. 7:1). When Noah was inside with his family and the animals, athe Lord shut them ina (7:16).
Noahas salvation was based on the grace of the Lord, who had seen in Noah a man who walked before G.o.d in righteousness. Noah was not perfect, but he was obedient, loving, and trusting. He was instructed by the Lord to make the ark, and he did it. When he was invited by the Lord to enter the boat, he responded. And once inside, he was secured by the Lord, who personally battened down the hatches!
When the calamities of life overtake us, there are those who have nowhere to turn. Like Gilgamesh, who did not know how to cope with life, they turn to people whose luck has held and seek comfort from them. But those who know the Lord, like Noah, trust him and find him sufficient in their hour of need. They float when others sink.
April 4
TO READ: Genesis 8:1-22
After the Deluge
But G.o.d remembered Noah and all the animals in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the waters, and the floods began to disappear.
Genesis 8:1
The floods which swept over Mozambique in March 2000 were described by veteran relief workers as the worst natural disaster they had ever witnessed. After many days of cyclonic rainfall, the River Limpopo burst its banks. Mozambique, which is virtually the flood plain of southeast Africa, was inundated. Tens of thousands of helpless people were swept away, villages disappeared, and crops were devastated. Those who survived found precarious refuge in the tops of trees or on rooftops, which occasionally collapsed under the weight of the people. Rescue efforts were hindered by bureaucratic red tape, corruption, and lack of supplies. In the aftermath of the flooding, outbreaks of malaria and typhoid fever took many lives. The specter of starvation loomed over the troubled land. Hopelessness and helplessness prevailed.
The devastation in Mozambique no doubt prompted some people to think about the Flood recorded in Scripture. In that flood, the devastation was unprecedented and has never been repeated. While no theological cause and effect can be attributed to the Mozambique inundation, we do know the cause of the biblical flood. G.o.d, on observing athe extent of the peopleas wickedness,a had specifically said, aI will completely wipe out this human race that I have createda (Gen. 6:5-6).
In Mozambique, the treetop survivors waited endlessly in hope that one of the few helicopters brought into action would see their plight and rescue them. In Noahas case, aG.o.d remembered [him] and all the animals in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the waters, and the floods began to disappeara (Gen. 8:1). After careful reconnaissance with a raven and a dove, Noah and his family, the Floodas sole human survivors, disembarked in direct response to the divine command, aLeave the boat, all of youa (8:16). Then Noah promptly abuilt an altar to the Lord and sacrificed on it the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. And the Lord was pleased with the sacrificea (8:20-21). Then the Lord promised that the normal course of seasonal and diurnal life would never again be disrupted. For no other reason than G.o.das own grace, mankind was given a chance to start again, to be born anew.
The devastation caused by the floods in Mozambique reminds us of the horrors of Noahas flood, which, in turn, points to the seriousness of human sin and divine judgment. The shortage of relief in southeast Africa contrasts vividly with the gracious divine rescue of Noah. It is against the dark backdrop of sin and judgment that grace shines most brightly.
April 5
TO READ: Genesis 9:8-17
The Rainbow
aI have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the earth. . . . Yes, this is the sign of my covenant with all the creatures of the earth.a Genesis 9:13, 17
William Wordsworth, the poet, lived in the English Lake District. There, because of a damp climate and steady rainfall, rainbows regularly appear in the dark skies. He wrote, My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky, So was it when my life began; So is it now I am a man So be it when I shall grow old Or let me die.17 Wordsworth did not identify the reasons for his heart-leap. Given his love of nature and his poetic vision, he no doubt rejoiced in the rainbowas beauty and drew profound lessons from the sight.
The scientist, looking at the same rainbow, recognizes that light refracted through moisture produces a colored ray. In a shower of rain, many rays refracted at slightly different angles through many raindrops produce all the colors of the spectrum, which then form concentric arcs around the common center, the sun. And thatas all that a rainbow is!
Two totally different viewpointsa"one poetic, the other scientific. But there is another way of looking at the rainbow. G.o.d told Noah, aI have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the earth. . . . Yes, this is the sign of my covenant with all the creatures of the eartha (Gen. 9:13, 17).
Scientific observation has enabled man to explore the world, to probe its mysteries, to mine its treasures, and to harness its power, more often than not to manas greater good. And poetic imagination has done much to enrich our souls. But only divine revelation can introduce man to the deepest, richest dimensions of life and the knowledge of eternity. Without G.o.d telling us, we would never have guessed that the rainbow is a message from the Creator of the universe, proclaiming his loving faithfulness and unending commitment to the covenant he freely made with man.
Some men who engage in scientific observation of the world fail to see evidence of the Creator in that which he created. And others whose poetic imaginations take them into flights of fancy frequently land in regions far from the Lord. But the scientist who knows and understands the things of G.o.d worships as he observes creationas wonders, and the believing poetas imagination soars to unimagined heights as he recognizes evidences of G.o.d on every hand.
Next time you see a rainbow, donat just see moist refractions or look for a pot of gold. Instead, worship G.o.d. And thank him for his promises.
April 6
TO READ: Genesis 11:1-9
Conversation and Confusion
In that way, the LORD scattered them all over the earth; and that ended the building of the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because it was there that the LORD confused the people by giving them many languages, thus scattering them across the earth.
Genesis 11:8-9
Deborah Tannen has written a couple of books on the subject of conversation.18 In the first, she explained the difficulties that people experience in communicating with each other. In the second, she pinpointed a particularly difficult areaa"the communication between men and women! There isnat a man or woman alive who has not experienced problems in that area. And Dr. Tannen was talking about communication difficulties between people using the same language!
The problems a.s.sociated with people speaking different languages are even greater. Ask anyone who has tried to reason with a customs official in a foreign country, or any sick person who tried to explain his symptoms to a physician in another language!
The confusion among languages, however, is intentional. G.o.d did it! Genesis records, aAt one time the whole world spoke a single language and used the same wordsa (Gen. 11:1).
So far, so good. But as the human race multiplied, they not only put up big numbers, they also began to have big ideas. They declared, aLetas build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skiesa"a monument to our greatness. This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the worlda (11:4). Apparently, there were already signs of fragmentation among people, which they found disconcerting. So they decided to take steps to reverse the trend. The means that they chose to achieve this objective were both spectacular and self-serving. They would draw attention to their own greatness by building an edifice breathtaking in its design and executiona"a temple to worship themselves. Everybody seeing it would recognize its message: aAs long as we stick together, weare unbeatable. Nothing is beyond our ability. The skyas the limit.a There is nothing intrinsically wrong with ambition, and there is no doubt that G.o.d delights to see his creatures using the powers of imagination and ingenuity he gave them. But imagination and ingenuity have their limits. When man becomes so enraptured with his own greatness that he overlooks the incontrovertible truth that he is an infinitesimal fragment of a vast creation, utterly dependent upon G.o.das grace for survival and salvation, then he needs to be stopped. Otherwise, he will not so much build edifices declaring his greatness as he will erect monuments displaying his folly.
G.o.d decided to keep the human race off balance, so he gave us a mult.i.tude of languages to keep us from communicating clearly with one another (11:7). The result has been both infuriating and illuminating. The downside of language confusion is misunderstanding, which causes friction and division. The upside is that misunderstanding is a constant reminder that weare not as smart as we think we are! There should be no confusion about that!
April 7
TO READ: Genesis 11:27a"12:8
Staking the Claim
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, aI am going to give this land to your offspring.a And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the Lordas visit.
Genesis 12:7
In the days of the California gold rush, the miners rushed to stake claims to land that they believed held their fortune. Before them, in the days of the colonizers, the explorers arrived at foreign sh.o.r.es and, in front of the curious glances of the indigenous people, they planted the flag of their sovereigns. In more recent times, after great battles the victorious troops raised their standard over hard-won territorya"for instance, the U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima, an event captured in the famous photograph (and subsequent statue) which was taken the day after the actual event took place!
Millennia earlier, Abram received instructions from the Lord that he was to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees and head toward a destination that would be shown to him en route. In a remarkable display of obedience and faith, he did so. The enterprise stalled in Haran until Abramas father died. The Lord then gave his instructions directly to Abram: aLeave your country, your relatives, and your fatheras house, and go to the land I will show youa (12:1). So he did. When he eventually arrived at Shechem, the place to which he had been traveling unknowingly, the Lord visited him and confirmed that it was the place of his choice, telling Abram, aI am going to give this land to your offspringa (12:7).
Abram had no flag, and there was no office to which he could rush to stake a claim, but he left his mark at the place: He abuilt an altar there to commemorate the Lordas visita (12:7). Then he traveled on to Bethel and athere he built an altar and worshiped the Lorda (12:8). When the colonial explorers planted their flags and staked their claims to vast territories, they had little to go on to justify their claims but their own arrogance and gunpowder. In Abramas case, the Canaanites were in possession of the land when he arrived, but it was because the Lord (whose land it was in the first place) had ceded it to Abramas heirs that Abram took his action in trust and obedience.
When we look at the promises that G.o.d gave Abram, it is remarkable that not one of them could be substantiated with any degree of certainty. Becoming the afather of a great nationa (12:2) seemed highly unlikely, being blessed and becoming famous and becoming a ablessing to othersa were far removed from anything that he was experiencing at that time (12:3). There was nothing tangible except altars, bearing silent witness to Abramas faith and obedience.
Everybody believes something. Along the path of our lives, we have each erected silent witnesses to what we hold deara"a business, a building, a boat, or a book. Sit down sometime, and look back and see the things youave left along the way. Theyall speak volumes about the journey youave taken and the place where youave arrived.
April 8
TO READ: Genesis 13:1-18
Staying on Track
aIall tell you what weall do. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want that area over there, then Iall stay here. If you want to stay in this area, then Iall move on to another place.a Genesis 13:9
When a plane leaves the runway, or a train jumps the tracks, or a ship drifts off course, disaster looms large. And when men lose their vision, they can quickly lose direction and make big mistakes. Reputations are easily tarnished and hard-earned positions of influence quickly forfeited. When these men are the Lordas servants, the cause of the Lord suffers setback. The people of G.o.d become easy targets for ridicule and abuse.
After Abram had arrived in Canaan, severe famine necessitated his moving once again, this time to Egypt (Gen. 12:10). There is no indication that he should not have gone therea"common sense dictated he should. But once there, Abram got off course. He lost sight of the Lordas care, and his triumphant faith was conquered by feara"fear that led him to tell half-truths that amounted to lies, which, in turn, embarra.s.sed and enraged Pharaoh and led to Abramas ignominious expulsion from Egypt.
Sadder and wiser, Abram and his entourage atraveled north into the Negev. . . . They continued traveling by stages toward Bethel . . . the place where Abram had built the altar, and there he again worshiped the Lorda (13:1-4).
Back on track worshiping the Lord, Abram was immediately confronted with a test. It soon became obvious that the area where he was living lacked the means to support both his herds and those of Lot. Arguments erupted between their employees, and Abram stepped forward with a wise and selfless proposal to Lot. He told him, aIall tell you what weall do. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want that area over there, then Iall stay here. If you want to stay in this area, then Iall move to another placea (13:9).
Lot promptly chose the prime land for himself, so Abram settled in the inferior territory. He could have pulled rank. He could have reminded Lot that he, Abram, was the Lordas chosen one and Lot was along for the ride. But he didnat. He knew in his heart that even when the Promised Land didnat look promising, the Lord of the promise was faithful, and the correct response to faithfulness is a fullness of faith.
Abramas failure of nerve in Egypt had taken him to the brink of disaster. He had learned a bitter lesson. But even his embarra.s.sing expulsion had proved a blessing, because it had propelled him back to the place of worship.
Any man is capable of jumping the rails. The wise man knows how to get back on track.
April 9
TO READ: Psalm 23