A Devotion on Worship: Craving God’s Attention

By GM Plaster
Reprinted from Relevantmagazine.com July 16, 2003

(all scripture NIV, taken from www.biblegateway.com)

Being Seen
Growing up I always craved my father’s attention. Climbing trees, riding bikes, building things; all of these were done with the end goal of putting on a show for him. “Dad, Dad, watch this!” I’d say. He would reply, “Go ahead, I’m watching.” His affection and his approval meant the world to me and most often these were both communicated through the simple act of watching what I was doing. In the same way, I believe we all long for the attention of others because somehow we feel that in being seen we validate our worth. For, as any avid collector will tell you, things are only worth what people will pay for them. We long to stand on the world’s auction block and here the price rising as our value appreciates. But the loudest voice is God’s. He bought a solo show with His life. He truly appreciates our value.

The Psalms contain cry after cry for the attention of God. God responds with affirmation that He is near and His eyes are watching. It seems that many people, Christians included, do not feel God watching them as they struggle, sin or succeed. But the Bible communicates this truth clearly: God loves us and He sees us.

David writes to God, “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:15,16)

Throwing Temper Tantrums
When we were kids, we sometimes did some pretty strange things to get attention, being rude or messy, acting younger than our age. Our parents knew if we just wanted attention and they knew if it was more than that. I still throw the same temper tantrums for God sometimes, refusing to read the Bible or pray when I know He is right there ready to be with me. He sees me and yet I convince myself that he can’t, like some infant in a game of peek-a-boo. It’s my eyes that are closed, not His. But the good news is, He knows I’m just crying out for His attention and He’s eager to give it.

Feeling Naked
In the beginning God created everything and he saw that it was good. As the centerpiece to His creation, Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s intimate company, walking and talking with Him in the Garden of Eden. They were naked and unashamed. But in the moment they thought God wasn’t looking, they sinned against Him.

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. And he said, "Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:8-11)

Suddenly God’s gaze was more painful than pleasurable. On one hand, they were created to be with Him. On the other hand, they suddenly felt naked and inadequate. His attention had become a double-edged sword.

After Cain killed his brother, God asked him, “Where is your brother Abel?" Cain replied that he didn’t know. God asked, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse. . . ." (Genesis 4:9-11)

Despite the fact that God seems far away at times, I can always feel the heat of His eyes on me when I sin intentionally. Like Cain, I am often tempted to cover my faults when His attention is on me. The light He shines in my darkness is penetrating and painful, but perhaps even harder than His discipline is the great mercy that He showers. Like an over-affectionate parent sending a young child off to camp, God lathers love that we refuse to accept. One too many hugs and “I love yous” leaves us jaded so that we end up complaining to the other kids about how He isn’t cool. However, a week away from home brings us to the naked truth that we miss that attention because there is so much love in it.

Famous
Reality TV is addictive to many of us because we know that the people on the screen are real men and women who are being watched by the world. Somehow this is exciting, even if the things they do aren’t that impressive. We relate to their humanity and are jealous for their fame. Why? Perhaps it is because we were born entertainers. Paul writes to the Hebrews, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2) Although quite warped and often misdirected, our desire for fame could very well be a longing to capture the attention of God. However, the kind of entertainment that He enjoys most is the kind that we often think no one will ever see.

But in the end, " . . . the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:37-40)

As Shakespeare said, the world is a stage. Somehow we just need to stop playing to the populace and start entertaining angels. We’ve already got God’s attention, now on with the show.

Blessing
The Beatitudes are an affirmation by God himself that He sees us in our pain and struggle. He promises His favor to those who are faithful saying that they are blessed. With each blessing, God is pointing to an individual in the crowd and looking them in the eye, giving them His attention. He sees our pain and takes it as His own. An illuminating parallel to this is Jesus’ treatment of the children who came up to Him. The disciples would have sent them away, but Jesus insists that they draw near. He taught his disciples that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, one must be like a child. I can remember taking road trips with my family, how my dad would drive at night as everyone would start to doze off. On occasion, I would switch seats with my mom and be up front with him, just to talk. It was so cool because it was just he and I. What really made it special was that I could always tell that he was as happy as I was to have time together. God is just the same but even more full of love for us. He wants to bless us with His healing touch, His affirming word, and His kind attention.

Worship: The Attention God Seeks from Us
The Westminster Catechism opens with this profound question: What is the chief end of man? The textbook answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.
Sounds like worship to me. If this is in fact the meaning of life, it seems that God must want us to return His attention with our own. He wants us to not just seek Him, but to find Him. He even promises us that He is within arms reach (Matthew 6:33). Worship is about showering God with our approval and affection, reflecting the favor He’s already shown us. Just as a father whose young daughter runs across the room to meet him after work shouting, daddy, daddy,” God eagerly anticipates our worship. Just as the parent who has sent a first child off to college waits by the phone, God desires our intimate communication; just a short call once in a while in return for so many years of loving attention.

GM Plaster is a former pastor of the Point loma Vineyard in San Diego, California. He currently lives in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife and three kids. If you would like to get in touch with him, you can email him here of request him as a friend on Facebook.com

Building a Worship Community

by G.M. Plaster

A Viral Church is a believing community which eagerly adapts to the cultural context in order to share the good news. They want to be in the world but not of the world. They want to reach the lost and love the lost because they once were lost. Although they employ the tactics of a virus, it might be truer to say that they are in fact an antivirus for our diseased human condition.

This is their strategy:

Give away products or services
Provide for effortless transfer to others
Scale easily from small to very large
Exploit common motivations and behaviors
Utilize existing communication networks
Take advantage of others' resources

What would this look like for the worship communities of Aquidneck Island?
Aquidneck Island Worship Network intends to find out! Join in the discussion by posting your comments on this blog or on www.facebook.com in the Aquidneck Island Worship Network group.

WORSHIP INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY IN IRELAND!

from Kathryn Scott's Blog

We are currently putting together our worship internship programm here in the Causeway Coast Vineyard for ’07 – ’08 [in Northern Ireland]. Beginning in September this year, I would like to invite you to apply if you are a worship leader looking for the chance to hone your skills further, along with others, in a fun, vibrant environment.You will be part of a small team of interns - learning together, growing together, writing songs, playing in the bands, and assisting in the development of worship throughout the church. We are interested in hearing from you if you are currently serving in a worship team (or have done so recently), have some experience of leading worship in a church context, can play an instrument (guitar, piano, or drums, etc…) to a competent level – and first and foremost have a heart that hungers after God and reaches out to others.

As part of your application, I would like to listen to a demo of you playing (this can be an mp3, or CD – or, if you’re really brave, a DVD). I’d also like to ask you for a reference from your senior pastor or minister.These positions are full time and self funding – there’s no cost for the actual internship, but you’ll need to cover your travel and living costs (we can give you an idea of how much that is likely to be - and all the details of where to fly to, how to find accommodation etc… when you apply)

Look forward to hearing from you!
Kathryn...

to apply, or register your interest please email me on worshipinternship@btinternet.com

New Group on Facebook

AI Worship Network has started a new facebook group (www.facebook.com) to go hand in hand with the blog:

Aquidneck Island Worship Network

Please feel free to join the group and make some input!

National Day of Prayer

Interfaith, Outdoor Praise, Worship for Our Nation

Location:
Excelsior Religious Gifts
886 West Main RoadMiddletown, RI 02842
Google Map Directions

Time:
05/03/2007

06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Coordinator:
Madeline Nugent 401/849-5421 bspenance@hotmail.com

Additional Information:
West Main Road is Route 114. Excelsior is located in the row of stores between Staples and Home Depot, behind the gas station. Bring a chair and dress warmly. Various church youth groups will offer the prayers and songs at this year's event.

Or check out Other Locations for participating in Rhode Island

Vigil for Virginia Tech Tragedy @ Salve Regina

Campus Ministry will hold a vigil Thursday, April 19 to reflect on the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech. Members of the Salve Regina community are invited to gather outside the Rodgers Recreation Center promptly at 7 p.m. and move in procession to Wakehurst, where the vigil will be held.

Lessons Learned from U2 for Leading Worship

by G.M. Plaster

There is no doubt that the modern worship movement has on multiple occasions paid homage to the band U2 in imitation of musical technique and in response to issues truly relevant to the universal church (i.e. In the Name of Love). Why has this band had such a profound impact on church music (i.e. the U2charist) when the musicians themselves have not, for the most part, been directly affiliated with Christian music culture? Looking at a few of Bono's influences and musical techniques not only gives us an idea of why the music has resonated so deeply but also how we might continue to learn from it for the purposes of emergent worship and liturgical integration. (also see Walk On: The Spiritual Journey Of U2)

See Wikipedia Excerpt: Musical Style and Themes of U2

"Since their inception, U2 have developed and maintained a distinctly recognizable sound, with emphasis on melodic instrumentals and expressive, larger-than-life vocals,[109] ... The Edge has consistently used a rhythmic echo and a signature delay[111] to craft his guitar work, coupled with an Irish-influenced drone played against his syncopated melodies,[112] that ultimately yields a well-defined ambient and atmospheric sound. Bono has nurtured his falsetto operatic voice[113] and has exhibited a notable lyrical bent towards social, political, and personal subject matter while maintaining a grandiose scale in his songwriting. Despite these broad consistencies, with each album U2 have introduced new elements into their musical repertoire. Beginning from their post-punk roots and minimalist and uncomplicated instrumentals heard on Boy as well as their second album October, their sound evolved through War into one more versatile and aggressive, with aspects of rock anthem, funk, and dance rhythms.[114] The two albums were labeled "muscular and assertive" by Rolling Stone[26] ... The songs from The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum placed more emphasis on Lanois-inspired rhythm as they mixed in distinct and varied styles of America-derived gospel and blues ... Social and political commentary, often embellished with religious and spiritual imagery,[117] are a major aspect of U2's lyrical content. ... An emotional yearning or pleading is another frequent conveyance,[109] in tracks such as "Yahweh"[118] and "Please". More generally, the investigation of loss and anguish coupled with hopefulness and resiliency, central in The Joshua Tree,[26] has motivated much of U2's songwriting and music. ...Described by The Edge as a fundamentally live band,[112] U2 has also taken full advantage of tours such as the Zoo TV to caricature social concerns. ...[116]"

There are several key elements to highlight here:

1. Minimalist and uncomplicated melodic instrumentals
2. Expressive, larger-than-life vocals and grandiose scale in songwriting
3. Well-defined ambient and atmospheric sound (Irish-influenced drone)
4. Social/political commentary with religious and spiritual imagery
5. Muscular and assertive
6. New elements in musical repertoire
7. Elements of America-derived gospel and blues
8. Emotional yearning, anguish coupled with hope
9. A fundamentally live band
10. Integration of ambient sounds with spoken word

Addressing these points one at a time, we will discuss why these elements are powerful and effective when incorporated in music written specifically for worship.

1. Minimal and uncomplicated instrumentals help the listener or worshipper to focus on the lyrical message rather than getting distracted by the complexity or talent of musicianship. Instrumentals can be beautiful in and of themselves, but are also useful for something. They are useful to help communicate the lyrical or unspoken Truth. Any part of the music which does not contribute to this Truth might as well be stripped away (kind of like a sanctification of sound!)

2. Expressive, larger-than-life vocals and a grandiose scale in songwriting appeal to the human desire to be a part of something larger than ourselves. Although it may be distracting in some worship settings for the music to become grandiose, there is certainly a place for awe inspiring music which instructs the soul to revere the King. Traditional organ music accomplishes this for many people, hence U2's usage of the same sound in several songs (i.e. Where the Streets Have no Name).

3. A well-defined ambient and atmospheric sound does several things for the worship. It facilitates the soul in meditation on a focal point. It encourages a sense of something beyond or beneath the seen world - faith in an unseen Reality. Critics will complain that ambient sounds and ambient music encourage "thoughtless" meditation and even brainwashing. While this concern is historically relevant when considering the power music has had on culture, the music itself is simply a tool to be used for good or evil. Ambient sounds numb certain senses and heighten others. This can be useful for momentarily filtering out some of the worries of life and focusing on the resonant sound. Ideally this sound somehow carries a consistent feeling with the Truth which is being sung about, spoken or taught. In the case of U2, the Irish-influenced

drone harkens to Celtic spirituality which not only carries a feeling of spiritual grounding in tradition, but also feels consistent with Bono's lyrics which frequently draw on spiritual imagery.

4. Social and political commentary laced with religious imagery might seem to be a bad fit for worship music, but scratch beneath the surface and it's easy to see why it is often much more palatable than religious commentary with a social or political agenda (which is what the church is often accused of). What if we were to sing about, say, the social concerns of AIDS in Africa or Sex Trafficking in Asia or ending world debt. These concerns are sometimes labeled as humanistic causes - political and beyond the walls of the church. However, U2's consistent lyrical emphasis on real world issues with transcendent sounds instructs the soul in being in the world but not of it. It's missional. It's catalytic. People who resonate with this element of the music want the Kingdom of God to be at hand. The good news is that IT IS! Worship music that specifically mentions current events in light of God's active participation is powerful and rather shocking (i.e. Kevin Prosch Palanquin). Prosch sings about God's love for the "gays and the lesbians" in the same phrase as the "Buddhists and Presbyterians", like Bono, lyrically exposing a certain filter that we've used for our music. If we put some of that stuff back in, we may find that the music resonates more deeply with the human desire to be relevant and authentic.

5. "Muscular and assertive" music is simply strong enough to gain our attention. In the digital information age, the battle of emotions and ideas is usually won by whoever can yell the loudest and still articulate a position. Worship music which is not muscular enough in it's strength of conviction and assertive in it's theological stance will not gain the attention of the people for long. There are too many other sources of entertainment to compete with a weak truth. Only Truth is strong enough to handle the competition. Ironically all of our attempts to create seeker sensitive worship is a double edged sword - we create music that welcomes people as they are (i.e. Come Now is the Time), in order to challenge them later with teachings that aren't always comfortable. So, there is a process to worship, and U2 shows us where we might be able to go with that process, towards a brave statement of faith and bold mandate for action.

6. Constantly experimenting with new elements in musical repertoire accomplishes a few things for both musician and listener, lead worshiper and parishioner. The Psalms instruct us to sing a new song (Psalm 33:3, Psalm 40:3) and worship God with a variety of methods (Psalm 150). While still keeping hold of those simple and ambient elements mentioned above, persistent experimentation keeps things fresh. It is good to take the perspective that there are seasons for worship just like there are seasons for the church calendar. New combinations of instruments on old songs, or new approaches to songs in general can do a lot to usher in such seasons. Worship itself is a process which God uses to renew us - so it is often fitting to renew our paradigms of worship. When this has been done in its proper season, with due diligence, there is a sweetness in returning to the earlier styles and songs. If we are not willing to try new modes of worship, we grow stale. Many fans who loved U2's Joshua Tree album had a hard time with the sounds coming out of their Zooropa tour, but in the long run the band's diversity was a benefit and helped to keep them fresh over the years.

7. Elements of the America-derived gospel and blues music should not be overlooked for any modern worship leader. While it is unrealistic to imagine a primarily white church to replicate the powerful sounds of a black gospel choir, there are a few easy lessons. First, the sound itself is born from suffering. Worship music with roots in the songs of the slaves is rich with Truth and transcendent hope both thematically and musically. By tapping into this sound, U2 accomplishes something similar to the use of the Celtic drone, which is an artistic allusion to spiritual heritage. The best way I can think of to do this is to contact local gospel churches and come together for combined worship - get the worship teams together to learn from each other and develop cross cultural music - share worship teams, leaders and choirs on alternating Sundays. - invite churches from different cultures to come and share with the worship team on what's important for worship at their church. Another method would be to look more honestly at the music we are writing and see if it is truly addressing the suffering which is common to man. While our suffering is not anything compared to that of the slaves, there is still a deeper well of creativity to be found in trials than in contentedness.

8. Worship which honestly conveys an emotional yearning or anguish yet still expresses through music the hope that we have is valuable because it is complex enough to be real. The human condition is very complex and yet so much of our music is inspired by life, distilled down to a single emotion or thought and then mass marketed. Only music which represents this tension of hope despite pain will resonate with the human soul as authentic. U2 captures this dichotomy with their music.

9. Worship teams should always be fundamentally live bands, meaning that they are meant to facilitate a community and congregational worship. While there is certainly a place for studio recording and U2's fans love them playing in their cars, it's something else completely to stand in a crowd of like minded people, to sing together and feel the communal pulse of a well known rock anthem. Worship music is vertical by being for the King, but is also horizontal by being for the body of believers (and anyone who would like to hang out in the vicinity). There is a bit of an awkwardness about creating incredibly intimate "vertical" worship music in a public "horizontal" context. We expose ourselves if we cry, raise our hands, etc. The result is an understandable psychological battle between authenticity and awareness of the effect on those around us. However, if we accept that a large part of the congregational worship is for the edification of the body, we will more willing to go live, wear our emotions out on our sleeves a little bit more, and not try to overproduce our spiritual products. Preferring live worship requires a better understanding of what grace looks like in an authentic worshipping community.

10. Integration of ambient music with spoken word is a technique used commonly in a lot of churches. Bono frequently uses the instrumental refrains of songs as platforms to speak out on an issue. In this example we have a few of the most important lessons for leading worship in the emergent church and finding new ways to do ancient-future worship: theology and liturgy should be treated as poetry - like setting a King on His rightful throne. Therefore the recitation of liturgy can be simultaneous to musical worship and integral when done well. In order to pull this off, poetry and music must dance together - the feelings of the sound in agreement with the words (i.e. My King Sermon). Excellent musicianship not only means being attuned to each other dynamically in sound, but also in meaning. Learning to do this will facilitate the priest and parishioner to integrate preaching and liturgy without missing a beat. When musicians craft a song and then allow the song to speak for itself, they have properly created space for the poetry of the Word to speak. Critics will claim that music is emotionally manipulative and that teaching should be separated from worship. However, we learn from U2 that the musical platform is an effective and valid medium for the proclamation of truth. When the simple song is done and the verses sung, the lingering sounds and melodies are still in the air, there is a beautiful pedestal for Truth to stand on, through preaching and liturgy. Listening to Bono's voice as he preaches against the sins of apartheid we learn not only the information of the crisis, but our souls also resonate with the physical punctuation of the musicianship. It penetrates us deeper. It becomes harder to remain ambivalent.

Coda

These musical elements would serve us well if we could learn them better - not so that we would sound exactly like U2, but so that we might stir the soul and grapple with Truth more effectively. If we did, what I believe would emerge is a more authentic and passionate worshipping community more in love with Jesus Christ and more responsive to His call.

G.M. Plaster is a former pastor at the Point Loma Vineyard Church in San Diego, California. He has led worship for several groups over the past 12 years, taught and written on the subject. He currently resides in Newport, RI with his wife and children. He is a graduate student at Salve Regina University where he is active in student ministry and can be reached at

grahamplaster@gmail.com