A Presbyterian worships standing with hands in his pockets trying to stifle a yawn while stealing a glance at his watch. Fair? Of course not. Neither is it fair to imply that all Pentecostals/Charismatics worship by working themselves into spiritual ecstasy, then flop on top of each other while speaking in tongues. Yet, while acknowledging not all evangelicals worship that way, one author in a recent book on Reformed worship implies that such carrying-on is rather typical, especially among charismatics. He also criticizes how we’ve lost “objective” worship in favor of “subjective” worship. By that he means we are making worship something we experience, instead of something we offer to God. (I’m not naming names, because I want to answer the criticism not the critic, who is my brother in Christ, though I don’t know him personally.
DISCLOSURE. I grew up and was originally ordained in a Pentecostal church. I am a continuationist; all the New Testament gifts of the Spirit are available today and should be exercised according to biblical guidelines. I consider myself sort of a Reformed Charismatic (though I’m tired of titles and wish we all could just be Christians). Some of our members in a church we planted years ago were significantly influenced by the Charismatic Movement. I’ve seen excesses that have angered me; I’ve read of others that disgusted me. That’s why I find it ironic to be defending Pentecostals/Charismatics.
OFFERING VS. EXPERIENCE. I agree completely that worship is something we offer to God. When we gather to sing, pray and hear his Word, we are offering our songs, prayers and lives to our Father in heaven. Worship is about him. An old charismatic-type praise chorus says it well . . .
We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord,
We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord.
And we offer up to you the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And we offer up to you, the sacrifices of joy.
How simple that is compared to “Holy, Holy, Holy”! Here’s just the first verse . . .
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Despite the differences, both help us offer God-centered worship. And both engage us in worship. We can’t truly worship with music like that and not be emotionally caught up in the goodness and holiness of God. In other words, we experience the presence of the God to whom we sing.
Why does worship have to be either offering or experience? Why can’t it be both? In fact, I would argue—due to the awesomeness of the God we are worshiping—it must be both.
DISCLAIMER. I’m not suggesting we design worship for our experience. Do that and we get experience-without-God. But if we design worship as a whole-mind, whole-heart offering to God, we get the experience of enjoying God.
STRAW-MEN VS. REAL-MEN. In the book I referred to above, the author (in my opinion) sets up “straw-men”. That is, he appears to use extreme examples of charismatic misconduct as characteristic of all. That’s simply not fair. I have no survey to offer, just my own experience in a Pentecostal church. Sure, our services were more “casual” than a Reformed Presbyterian one, but far from disorderly. No Spirit-slaying. No dog barking. No how-to-get-rich-quick prophecies.
I hope that when we compare forms of worship (or whatever) among our churches, we present the “other” position honestly (not citing the extreme as the example) and that we speak of our “different” brothers and sisters in love and with respect. Besides, when all believers in Christ get to heaven, I think we’ll find that all our systems and forms had a few holes in them!
DIFFERENT STROKES . . . I agree that the Scripture teaches us how to worship God. But within the boundaries of those instructions lie considerable freedoms. Is a worship order modeled after the Reformation more God-pleasing than one modeled after a freer, more spontaneous style? Or vice versa? Choose the one you believe most biblical (without condemning other choices) and the one in which you can best offer praises to God and enjoy his presence (without the spiritually superior attitude)! When it’s all said and done, though, maybe C.S. Lewis said it best . . .
“The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of;
our attention would have been on God.”
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