From the Pastor's Study
From the Pastor’s Study
Worshipping Truthfully
Feb 23, 2022
A human resources manager was about to retire after working in the same company for over forty years. No employee had worked in that company as long as he did. In fact, he had been involved in the hiring and training of every single person who worked there without exception, and he had even been instrumental in hiring the current president. He worked hard and had done much to earn the respect and gratitude of every one of his fellow employees.
On his last day of work, to show its appreciation, the company held a barbeque, and the opportunity was given for people to say a few words. Quite a number of people stood up with something to say. One commented on the fact that this man always wore a bowtie to work. Another commented on how tidy and neat his desk always was. A third reminded everyone that the new retiree always drove the oldest car in the parking lot. That kind of thing went on for about half an hour, but not once did anyone mention the good work the HR manager had done. Although the HR manager was known for his fair hiring practices, for his support of workers who asked for time off when they had trouble at home, for the countless overtime hours he put in when there were labour disputes and how he had always been fair in those situations, no one mentioned those things. Instead, everyone focused on the trivial things, things that were of little importance. In fact, when the company president made his speech, he made some significant errors in what he said, talking about how he appreciated his HR manager’s 25 years of service (it was 40) and how the HR manager was happy to retire to go travelling when in fact he was retiring so that he could look after his ailing wife.
The HR manager left that barbeque feeling disheartened. While a lot that was said was true, so much more could have been said that was far more important and far more meaningful. He wished that he hadn’t attended his own retirement party because he didn’t feel truly appreciated for his hard work and commitment both to the employees and the company.
When we gather to worship, we gather to say things about God and to God. Our communal worship has some points of contact with the speeches that honoured the retiring HR manager.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a few people about the controversies in their church about their worship services. Apparently, a few members had said that unless the church began singing different songs, they were going to leave. The leadership of that church was in a quandary: others in the congregation liked the songs they were singing and had already voiced their disapproval about some of the new songs that were being introduced. Being an outsider, I could not fully comprehend the hurt and fear that had become part of the life of that congregation. They said that the “worship experience” was dividing them rather than uniting them.
Last week I attended a worship service and nearly all of the songs were unfamiliar to me. I wasn’t able to sing along, but that gave me opportunity to really focus on the words. What was being said? To whom were we saying it? What was the purpose of the song we were singing? I must confess that the choice of some of the songs was puzzling. I couldn’t always quite grasp the theme of the song or what point it was trying to make. One song seemed to simply pile up a number of descriptive phrases about God and leave them there. The tune was catchy, but I trouble making sense of the song.
But I also began to wonder if God appreciated what we were singing. We must always remember that when we worship, we are either speaking to God or speaking about him. None of us would want to be the position of the HR manager at his retirement party, but I do have to wonder how many times if the worship of the church leaves God a little disheartened: “Is that what they really think about me? Is that what they believe is important?” Certainly, I wouldn’t say that the worship service I attended last week left God disheartened, but I do wonder if those who had chosen the songs had stopped to ask if God would be pleased by what they said and did.
I think of the church which was fighting about their “worship experience.” Some were feeling one way about the experience and others were feeling another way. I do wonder if that church had stopped to consider that their “worship experience” was not nearly as important as God’s “worship experience.” What we experience in worship is far less important than the fact that God is honoured by us being truthful about him as we speak to him and speak about him. It would be rather awkward if God were to leave the worship service feeling that those who had spoken to him and about him had focused on minor things (which may be true even if they are unimportant), leaving him with the feeling that those who worshipped him didn’t really know him all that well or appreciate him as they should. What unites us in worship is not our experience but rather God’s experience, if we can put it that way. When we gather together to speak (and sing) to God and speak (and sing) about him in ways that are truthful and which reflect what is important about him, we are united in our love and praise for God. We might all prefer a bit different style of music, but when the words express the important truths about God, God is honoured and we are strengthened as the people of God and united in our devotion to him.
Pastor Gary
