Online Articles
Discipline
It has been the practice of this congregation for a number of years that, during the month of January, some of our elders would take the opportunity to preach and address their concerns/goals to the congregation. Yesterday was one of those days, and given that I was not preaching, I was asked to lead one of the prayers, so I sat in the back so as to be close to the microphone. I’m not crazy about sitting in the back during worship simply because there are too many distractions. Perhaps that merely exposes a weak mind or inability to focus on my part. But, say what you will, there is a lot that goes on during worship (besides worship, I mean). During the announcements, the collection, and two songs, I watched folks carry on conversations. I watched parents play with their kids. I watched people play with other’s kids. I watched people walk around. I watched people stare blankly into space. I saw folks arrive late. I saw folks disappear into the foyer and wander back in two songs later. I saw people intently concentrating on something in their lap - perhaps it was their bible; perhaps it was their phone. And I saw others singing heartily; others clearly focused upon important thoughts; others engaged; others disengaged. Mind you, I saw nothing that I have not seen a hundred times while preaching. But the difference in perspective merely made the observations more pronounced.
I’ve been thinking about that since yesterday, and what it says about our worship. Worship is an important part of religion, given that it is one of the most visible and perhaps the most purely collective activity of discipleship. It also happens to be one of the most neglected, abused, and perverted activities of service to God. Formal worship has been subjected to human innovation as far back as Cain’s offering. From golden calves to strange fire to polluted sacrifices to empty ritual to artificial atmosphere to dramatic presentation to pure entertainment, people have toyed with the activity of public worship in almost every way imaginable. And if you wonder why such as been the case, you probably only have to sit in the back and watch. Focus and discipline are not our strengths, and folks start looking for something to attract and keep their attention.
Worship, like every other aspect of discipleship, is an issue of discipline. While the activities in which we engage are collective (we sing together, pray together, study together, observe the Lord’s Supper together), they are nonetheless individual expressions of personal devotion and they demand of us some degree of mental focus. The church may be singing a song of praise but if my own mind is not engaged and if my thoughts are not concentrated on what I’m singing, then my worship becomes a vain expression. These collective activities are designed to benefit everyone participating, whether we are praying or studying or commemorating the death of our Lord together. But if I’m playing peek-a-boo with the child in front of me or engaged in a conversation with the person next to me, then I’m certainly not lending my own agreement to the prayer or improving my own understanding from the study or examining my own faith in the communion service. Simply stated, those activities demand my own personal involvement, and my own personal involvement demands that I exercise enough discipline to give my mind to the task at hand. Worship is not a spectator activity. It is my own outpouring of gratitude, commitment, dependance, reverence, and love for God. And if I am failing in such, either I am failing in true appreciation for God or I’m failing in the self-discipline necessary to proper expression.
We live in a fairly enigmatic culture where discipline is concerned. At one time we are obsessed with physical fitness and appearance and health, which things demand great discipline. But we also want Blue Bell ice cream, extra large cherry Dr Pepper, and foot-long sandwiches, all of which counteract the aforementioned discipline. Similarly, recent economic challenges in our country have reminded folks of the dangers created when we accumulate debt due to credit spending. We seen such issues affect individuals, corporations, and governments. Financial stability and wisdom demand discipline. But while we know not to spend more than we have, we still run up the credit card and find ourselves almost addicted to the accumulation of more stuff. I don’t know if any sociologist would agree, but it’s almost as if our devotion to personal liberty counteracts the common sense that cries out for a measure of wise self-control. In short, our world is a hypocritical mess where self-discipline is concerned.
And perhaps that’s one of the things that makes Christianity such a challenge in our day. Discipleship to Jesus Christ demands self-denial and self-control, whether in the realm of character, temptation, worship, relationships, morality, even doctrine. God expects His people to develop and exercise the force of will that allows us to pursue His will with some intensity. That principle is reflected in passages such as Mt.16:24f, Rom.12:1f, and Eph.4:21f. We will not "put on the new man" if we aren’t concentrating on how the new man thinks or acts. We can never be "transformed by the renewing of your mind" when we are too intellectually, mentally, or emotionally lazy to put aside our own desires or thoughts and focus our mind upon the words of a hymn or a discussion of God’s Word. We will fail our spouses, children, and parents if we don’t discipline ourselves so that we understand our roles and fulfill our obligations, no matter what changes and sacrifices are demanded. And we can’t "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" if we will not exercise the ability that God has given us to prepare ourselves and control our desires. God doesn’t demand empty asceticism on the part of His people, but He does demand that we practice some degree of discipline.
Perhaps, when we worship, if we would focus ourselves and ignore the distractions and think about God and His blessings, we might begin to develop some discipline. We had better start somewhere. Otherwise, we will ultimately fail Him everywhere.
