About a month ago, I got ready to head into the office and locked my front door on my way to the driveway. As I approached my 1996 Toyota Tacoma, I noticed the door was unlocked, which was highly unusual. As I opened the car door, I saw all of the miscellaneous items that were normally stored in my dashboard nooks were strewn about the bench seat. Then I saw it...
My stereo was gone. Kind of.
The face of my stereo had been stolen. Probably a neighborhood thug who wasn't very bright, as he left behind my CDs, a nice mag-light, brand new jumper cables, and a variety of other resell-able goods.
For the next few weeks, I kept an eye on Craigslist to make sure no one was selling my stereo face. I imagined bringing a police officer from my small group along to render payment for the stereo face I found online, posted by the thief.
It's too bad the guy didn't get my whole stereo, for a couple reasons:
1. The face won't do him much good.
2. The faceless stereo won't do me much good.
3. My vocal warm-up CD was in the stereo. That would have been a great moment for the thief.
The hardest thing about losing the stereo is not having music in my car to listen to and sing along with.
I think that (prepare yourself for the segue) sometimes we view corporate worship like singing in the car. We aren't really singing TO anyone, just going along with what's happening around us. It can be about as mindless as watching TV (save the Office and Ultimate Fighter) and you can usually do at least 2 other tasks concurrently...like drive and text. I do not recommend this trifecta combination.
At a birthday party, you never sing the birthday song to yourself, or to no one. At a birthday you gather to celebrate someone you care about, usually with others that feel the same. You light the candles and hit the lights. Then you sing. You sing TO a person.
Some songs at church are directed at God the Father, others to Jesus Himself, and yet others are sung amongst the congregation. All of these have a purpose, but the truth that we sing is certainly good to remind our souls who we are and what God has done.
It seems that God wants our worship to be more like a birthday party than a ride with your favorite radio DJ. Let us be always mindful of who we are singing our songs of praise to.
DZ
2 comments:
I disagree... A lot of the times when I am by myself in my car singing and listening to Christian radio or to your band's CD is when I have gotten some of my most powerful messages from God. I don't think it matters where you are or who you're with, as long as your heart is true to what you are singing and listening to, I think God is happy with that--even if you are just in your car, by yourself.
This post gave me a feeling that any experiences in my car with the radio on and listening to God speak to me through songs isn't "good enough" because it isn't in front of people.
The issue I address is not private vs. corporate worship, nor the location of where worship occurs...but that it is good to remember who we are singing to.
Just as no one would write a letter and leave it in the mailbox with no address, I think God does care a great deal about the object of our attention and affection, beautifully explained by Harvey in tonight's sermon.
Hope this helps clear up your misunderstanding.
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