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Spiritual Self-Gratification
worship leader in England, and one of the world's leading contemporary writers of hymns and spiritual songs ("Shine, Jesus, Shine," "Amazing Love," "Meekness and Majesty," and "The Servant King" are among my favorites). SPIRITUAL SELF-GRATIFICATION It is far too easy, within the current upsurge of creative input in the realm of worship, to find ourselves chasing spiritual or aesthetic experiences, as if the highest achievement of our whole pilgrimage on earth were to enter some kind of praise-induced ecstasy! I am, in fact, all in favour of spiritual experiences when they are genuine, and welcome ecstasies that are the gifts of God and not artificially induced, but if such things become the AIM of our gatherings for worship, then we have turned the gospel upside down. The gospel is for the salvation of the world, and we are sometimes in danger of locking ourselves inside the rescue-shop and plundering the stock of blessings for the sole purpose of spiritual self-gratification, while millions stream empty- handed past the closed doors into eternal darkness, hearing the joyful sounds and seeing the advertisements, but never being given a chance to test the goods. -- Graham Kendrick, from WORSHIP, Kingsway Publications, 1984, p.32. [Lord, help us to see YOU (not an experience) as the aim of our worship. Help us to know your ways, to hear your voice, and to respond to you in spirit and in truth. Amen!] Have a great week, Chip Stam Pastor of Worship and Music Chapel Hill Bible Church Chapel Hill, North Carolina |