Men and Worship

I don’t think we ever really grasp the weight of what we claim to believe as Christians. We make statements routinely like “God loves me,” or “Jesus rose from the dead,” or “God will judge sinners in the end,” as if they are old hat and just commonplace to say these things. Now they may be commonplace in a culture such as ours that has been so profoundly influenced by Christianity, in our little church world that we live in. When we make off-hand comments like “let’s go worship God in the church building,” there’s a lot that we take for granted and that we subconsciously downplay I think. Do we really understand what it means that we worship the King of the universe? Would this change how we worship? Can we imagine physically standing in the presence of Christ and still mumbling the words to the songs we sing and the prayers we recite with little to no emotion? I can’t, and yet I still fall prey to this often. I’m as conservative theologically as anyone, but most of these kinds of churches can generally tend to be pretty dull. This goes for all aspects of worship, not just music. It’s really confronting at my church since it’s not huge and we meet in a recreation center gym. It is tempting to just try and be silent and not stand out, and just sort of go through the motions without getting too excited or involved. It would seem a little startling and tacitly unthinkable to yell out “Amen!” to the preacher, and I think he senses this also in the congregation. But Bill made a comment last time I was there that caught my notice and made me think of a verse in 1 Timothy where Paul expresses:

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.

(2:8)

This verse is in the context of praying and giving thanks for all people, even those in high positions that have God-given authority over you (2:2), even those that are false teachers (1:3), even blasphemers (2:13, 20), persecutors (2:13), and insolent opponents (2:13), all of which Paul formerly was but was delivered by His mercy and grace (2:13-14); and certainly the women (wives, mothers, children, etc.) in the church (2:9-15), of whom God has made men stewards and leaders. This letter is written specifically to the church in Ephesus, of which Timothy was a pastor, and Paul commanded that men raise hands to the Lord Jesus, the mediator between God and all men. So Paul was commanding that men take the lead in the church, to initiate a worshipful response to God and in so doing encourage the women to follow likewise, not adorning themselves in trashy and inappropriate apparel and thereby dishonoring Christ and the appointed stewardship and leadership of godly men in the church, but

in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

(2:9-10)

It is not my intention to get into the issue that vs. 2:9-15 bring up, which is that of women in the highest position of authority in the church (pastor, teacher, elder, etc.), but suffice it to say that women are repeatedly told to respect the authority put over them in the church. So is the command to men in the same passage, to make intercession and prayer for those in authority over them and to lead well their wives and families by looking to Jesus, the mediator between us all and God the Father. This is why Paul planted all of his churches, including the one at Ephesus, and why he was appointed by Christ

a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

(2:7)

Paul did this to instill in men leadership and a sense of responsibility for the direction and well-being of the church, including the office of overseer (3:1) and teacher (3:2) of the family of God. Women are likewise told to submit themselves to this and to learn quietly (2:11) in this context. Obviously this is one of the most hotly debated verses in all of Scripture, but again it is not my intention to get into that here (perhaps another post).

My point is that what Pastor Bill commented on briefly brought this to mind, and convicted me that I and fellow guys do need to feel a sense of responsibility for how the church responds in worship. In most “conservative” churches, where generally the Bible is taught well, there is not much liveliness in the congregation on Sunday. People tend to try and stay quiet and unnoticed, presumably from a desire to not stand out and to not draw attention away from the worship of God in the sanctuary. But I would submit that this is not necessarily the right way to go (even though I am grossly aware of my rampant failure here). What does it say about us as worshippers of Jesus that it often seems lifeless during what is supposed to be our celebration and heartfelt thanksgiving to our great God and King? Do we fully grasp what the redemption of our souls implicates? When we stand with our hands in our pockets, mumbling words to songs, checking our watches because God forbid the service goes long, and having a general attitude of complacency, do we equate this to actual knee-bending, on-your-face worship to the exalted Lord of Heaven, or is it just a “worship service” with neat and/or cheesy guitar songs, a few pithy statements made about God’s love, some prayers scattered throughout, and a cheap and inaccurate imitation of what the Reformers had in mind for the worship of God? Do we really worship during “worship”, or is it just another day of complacency that we call the Holy Sabbath?

Are we really interceding for others, offering prayers of thanksgiving for God’s blessings and appointed leaders, and are the men in the church really leading their churches and their families and their wives, pointing always to the great Mediator and lifting holy hands to Christ to intercede for this broken and desperately needy world? I haven’t been. Lord God help me repent and to follow the leadership appointed above me and those that would be entrusted to me, to always look to the Mediator in prayer for all people, without resisting or getting angry about it (2:8), but sensing the need and putting the joyful burden of responsibility on myself. I pray others would do likewise. Amen.