The other day we were arriving at the place where we worship on Sundays (boringwells.org, if you're interested in checking it out). Zoe was excited because she knew where we were. She loves seeing her friends and singing. In here excitement she exclaimed, "I see friends!" We answered, "Yes, Zoe. You are going to see your friends." Then she shouted, "Daddy, I singing! I singing Jesus!"
This caught me off guard, because to be honest I haven't been very intentional in teaching her about why we go to church, or why we sing songs while we're there. The truth is, she figured it out on her own. She is smarter than I give her credit for, and she proved this to me that afternoon. In my haste, I started to ask her if she knew why we sang songs to Jesus, but then I stopped myself. I looked at Reona and we both sort of smirked because we were both thinking the same thing. How in the world do we even begin to answer that question for an almost 3 year old?
We sing a bunch of different songs with Zoe. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Wheels on the Bus, anything from CBeebie's (the local children's TV network), and of course the all but famous spiritual song Jesus Loves Me. She loves to sing and often makes up her own little songs. Just last week we were walking out the front door to leave and she broke into a little ditty, something like "The sun is pretty. The sun falling down. The moon is falling down. Uh-oh, the sun and moon is sad..." I don't remember the rest but it was very cute, and just listening in is enough to make my heart melt.
There is something to music, isn't there? Whether or not we are using words like salvation and glory, or names like Jesus and Lord, there is something happening when we sing or even just listen to music. Over the years I have been to see many sexual (urr... I think he means secular)bands live. Coldplay, U2, Death Cab for Cutie, and Jump Little Children to name a few of my favorites. I have found myself in the midst of God's presence at almost all of these concerts. I believe that whether we know it or not, all sorts of music can invite us to worship our Creator. Lyrically, my favorite artists sing about all sorts of ideas, people, places, stories, love, life, and of course the list could go on. In a word, it's creation. And what better way to focus on the Creator? Of course, this is not across the board. Some of the content does not lead us in that direction, but that doesn't negate the content that does lead us to focus on God and worship Him.
A few weeks back I was having dinner with a friend. We were having what I like to think was a deep and philosophical conversation about church and worship. He said something quite random and funny. He wondered about life on other planets. What if there were aliens from another planet and they were intelligent enough to come to our planet and observe humans in worship to our God. Would they not think it quite strange to observe modern day Christians all sitting in the same room, pointing in one direction, hands raised, eyes closed or knees bowed, singing songs? In other words, what is the point? If I take a step outside of my bubble of church, religion, or whatever things I was taught in Sunday School, and asked myself 'what is the point?', would I actually have an answer?
I could do with an Alien Invasion in my life right now. I could use some extra terrestrial life form making it's way into my space, my little bubble, to watch and observe me singing songs in corporate worship to my God. This would be for me a mirror of sorts. I dare say it wouldn't be a pretty sight, because this form of worship has become just another religious act for me. If you know me at all, you know that I struggle with religion. I don't want it, I don't need it. I need encounters with a living God! I want to know the one I worship. I want to learn what it means to find God in the day to day and worship Him along the way. God is in the stroll through the park with my wife and daughter, as I bask in the glory of the creation around me. God is in the conversation I had with a man and his son who I met at the playground behind our house, Mohamed and Rashid. God is in the 24 hour grocery store at 12am when it's the last place I want to be. And even though I met a young man at the check out, and in a brief moment he showed me a need, I walked away and ignored that need because I was tired and wanted to go home to my bed. I missed the living God that night. I missed a chance to experience Him in true worship. As Don Miller would say, I missed the chance to... "treat that young man as though he was lovable, listen to him, hear his wound, and take Jesus to that wound."
I'm not throwing corporate worship out altogether. As I said before, there is something about connecting with God through music. However, I am struggling with this concept and what it means for me as a worship leader, and I'm asking tough questions. I'm not sure I like some of the answers. But God is bigger than me, He's bigger than my questions, and He is even bigger than the answers. He is going to cut through all of the b.s. and reveal Himself to me as long as I keep seeking Him out. God help me because I don't have a clue, and bring on the alien invasion!
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