My name is Isaiah, son of Amoz. I am a member of a noble family in the Kingdom of Judah. Because I was wealthy, as a young person I was not prepared to hear the cries of the poor nor to see the plight of the downtrodden in my country. As one of the aristocracy, I could pass these people by and never notice. If they had no food, no place to sleep, no access to any doctors, - it wasn’t my issue.
In my later years, I became more sensitive to the cries of such people, those beaten by life almost before they could walk. I found that I heard many things behind their words; needs, pain, ambitions, aspirations. I spent a lot of time pondering why it was that after years of comfortable living, I became more open and aware.
I have come to the conclusion that it was an experience of worship. By that I mean, that people's hearts and lives can be changed by worship. Now, I don’t mean the droning perfunctory performance of ritual, that which really kills religion. I mean authentic worship which engages and involves the mind and will of the worshipper. I have come to see that there are universal elements in our experience which can be applied by all people who seek to worship God authentically.
How does one get people to see what they don't want to see and to hear what they don't want to hear? For most of my life I've been trying to make people aware of the injustice prevalent in society so they would make some constructive response. I've been trying to get people to put their trust in God instead of possessions. I've been trying to get kings to put more emphasis on the needs of the poor and less emphasis on alliances. When Ahaz was the King of Judah, I went and urged him not to enter into an alliance with the Assyrians, for I was confident that they would one day turn on us. He ordered me to keep my mouth shut. That experience made me reflect on my vocation. I felt that God had called me to speak out, but if God had called me, why was I not more successful?
On reflection I decided my great change came from an experience of worship. So I began to reflect on what constitutes authentic worship. Here is what I decided.
The first element of authentic worship is focus on God. In the year King Uzziah, died, I went to the temple to pray. I stood in the vestibule, preparing to enter the sanctuary. I became aware that I was in the presence of God. I had been there so many times before that familiar rituals made no impression. This time was different; symbolism and ritual suddenly had life. The choir became heavenly beings, seraphim, doing what they were intended to do. The hem of God’s robe filled the entire temple - how much more was there which could not be seen? "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts." suddenly had real meaning. The table became the very throne of God, God’s voice was audible....
Many people, when they come to worship, see themselves as the audience; the preacher and musicians are the actors; God is in the wings, as the prompter. The congregation is then free to criticize: either it was a good show or it wasn't a good show; it made them feel good, or it didn't make them feel good; and how the congregation feels is all that matters.
In fact, the truth is the other way around. In authentic worship, God is the audience; the worshippers are the actors; the preacher and musicians are the prompters. Confronting the living God must be the goal of every act of worship, not kindling a glow in the hearts of worshippers.
In worship we need confession. When I realised God’s majesty, all I could say was, "Woe is me!" When you come face to face with the kind of power that created the universe and keeps it in balance, how can you not stand in awe? When you think what it means to be holy: to be working for others as God does, how petty we are in contrast; we, who strive to dominate others, to exploit our relationships, to get rather than to give; how can we do anything but admit our unworthiness? I had to admit that my righteousness was no match for the righteousness of God or for God's expectation of me.
To confess that we have been wrong, sinful, spiteful or careless requires humility, and it is hard for us to be humble. But if we do not start from humility, nothing in life will be right. Heartfelt honest confession is critical for authentic worship.
Another aspect of worship is cleansing. I confessed - I am a man of unclean lips, I said - and right away God’s cleansing began. In my day people burnt expensive animals on altars as a sacrifice to God, and the smoke would carry their gift to God. My sacrifice was my pride. I confessed my unworthiness through words. I felt as if my lips were set afire by one of the coals on the altar. But I was forgiven. Authentic worship assures us that we are accepted and thereby cleansed.
Finally, let me say that if we are really worshiping God, we should also be doing something. There is a time for contemplation, introspection, and repentance. But when we have been made right with God, we must work to balance meditation with action. Good religion serves others. Before that experience in the temple, I was so blinded by my own needs and desires that I took little notice of others. When I realised the staggering goodness of God, and of my own small -mindedness, the fact that I was forgiven, I heard a new sound - the voice of God. Where it was, inside me or outside, I don’t know. I felt the burning on my lips, I knew there was a consecration, but I also knew that to be consecrated meant to be taken from the normal. I know that God said "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" God must always have been seeking assistance to accomplish great tasks, must always have been calling people. Much to my own surprise, I heard myself volunteering: "Here I am, send me”, and God commissioned me to "go." My life had been completely changed.
The question of all of this, of course, is why. People of faith are called to walk in God’s way, when others seem to be walking a totally different direction. We live among people who hate - who find enemies in the world - and cling to a message about loving neighbours and enemies. We live in a world of rumour and war, and follow a God who suggests that when we are weak, we are at our strongest. We live in a world which measures by possessions, size, wealth, name - and yet we come to an ordinary table to share a common meal - a small piece of bread, as if it were sufficient for a meal; and a small sip from a cup, trusting that it quenches our thirst.
Going over all this with you has been very helpful to me. One's religion must never become cut and dried; it must never become something which took place years ago and has not been examined since. It cannot be an exercise in nostalgia, for the past was never as rosy as we remember it. Worship must be an ongoing, everyday experience of growth. Worship provides those opportunities for renewal which are necessary for every one of us. Of course, we must beware of just going through the forms and calling that worship. Authentic worship truly expresses adoration and confession, and truly leads to forgiveness and action. So action becomes an act of worship as well. We come here to listen for God’s voice, to be renewed, and to be sent out - to each other, to our community, and to the world. It must be those three.
Have you been worshiping authentically? There is a way for you to tell. God's voice is still saying, "Whom shall I send?" Into your home, into your work, into the life of your congregation and your role in it. If you have not heard God speak in worship, or heard but not responded, then your worship experience is incomplete. It is not too late. Today, you could say, "Here am I, Lord, send me." May it be so.
Sources:
1. Based on the sermon “Worthy Worship” by Dr. David Rogne, retired pastor, United Methodist Church USA.
2. Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality (New York: Doubleday, 1999).
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