WORSHIP: ANTIQUITY, AESTHETICS AND EMOTION

In the thinking of many of our neighbor’s; antiquity, aesthetics, and emotion play a large but unscriptural role in how to worship God.

Antiquity speaks of things that are ancient in years. Some folks think that Catholicism or some of the older Protestant churches are, by virtue of their antiquity, where God wishes them to be. But antiquity cannot make wrong right. Old error is just as unacceptable as today's version.

The Lord's church is two thousand years old: the oldest of all existing churches, but it is often new to a community or to a particular person. Although he may have just heard of Christ's Church, it has long been here and it is his misfortune to have not learned about it earlier. Remember that old is not enough; a church must be as old as the Bible.

Aesthetics is the study and appreciation of things beautiful. It involves such things as art, sculpture and fine music. Art is beautiful. Fine music is inspiring, entertaining and relaxing. The thunderous peels of the pipe organ thrill the aesthetic nature of many souls. However scripture does not make esthetic beauty the standard for acceptable worship. God has specifically forbidden the making and use of statuary (graven images) for worship (Deut.5: 8-9). Even the great art of the Italian masters cannot be used as aids or objects of acceptable worship. Early Christians worshiped without fine opulent houses of worship, without fine art and sculpture and without the finery of instrumental accompaniment to their singing.

Emotion in worship has its place in worship. We must love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Emotion however, musts always be in subjection to the will of God. "Not every one that saith Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Mathew 7:21).

We must obey from the heart that form of teaching (Romans 6:17). Emotion, bereft of truth, is not just harmless; it can be an unacceptable substitute for true worship. It can lead to worship that is chaotic and confusing (I Corinthians 14:33, 40).

Acceptable worship must be "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). That worship can be offered to God in a manner totally acceptable without a beautiful building, the use of the fine art, statuary, musical instruments and musically trained and directed choirs. It was so with those first Christians. It can be so even today.

When I worshiped with the Lord's church in Sukkakunaland in South Africa, I saw worship as it was in those early days. The church consisted of virtually every citizen of the village. Having no meeting place, they met under a tree, sitting on the ground. They communed with bread and fruit of the vine from an ordinary drinking cup and plate. They had classes for their children and they sent out missionaries. Thus did the first Christians as they assembled in the countryside, in their caves and private homes.

While it is perfectly right to appreciate the beauty of lovely things human artistic skill has created, it is wrong to assume that such can improve on the worship God has set forth in Scripture for us to present unto Him.