(Text and Audio)
Title: Public and Private Worship
A few Saturdays ago, Andy and Mark and I sat down for breakfast as part of our monthly leadership team meeting. We discuss the goings on at the church and things that we need to work on and have our eyes on and the topic of music came up.
Andy shared that he thought there might be some discontent to which I just chuckled because there’s always discontent when it comes to music for reasons that we get into at a moment, but I want to share two funny stories from that meeting…because today is going to be a laid back message. As close to exo-topcial as I’m comfortable getting. (Mark even checked in on me mid—week)
In reality, today’s lesson is more of a Sunday School than a typical Sunday sermon. But I’m using our time during this hour to reach the most people at once. I do think that this is an important topic, but it’s also one that I hope you will agree by the end of the sermon, if looked at correctly is not critical, but rather an opportunity for each of us to serve and humble ourselves for the better of our brothers and sisters.
2 Samuel 6:14-22
14 And David was dancing before the Lord with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
(First Interjection: ONLY an ephod, or an ephod as well as other clothes? Later Michal says he “shamelessly exposed himself”)
15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
16 Then it happened, as the ark of the Lord was coming into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she was contemptuous of him in her heart.
(Second interjection: Was his first wife, the daughter of Saul, arguably the “most important” wife at the time, mad about his lack of clothes, and therefore his expose to the females in the street, or was she mad about something more subtle, namely that David was not being very Kingly in his public display of dance and joy?)
17 Now they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of armies. 19 Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread, one of dates, and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people left, each to his house.
20 But when David returned to bless his own household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel dignified himself today! For he exposed himself today in the sight of his servants’ female slaves, as one of the rabble shamelessly exposes himself!” 21 But David said to Michal, “I was before the Lord, who preferred me to your father and to all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. So I will celebrate before the Lord! 22 And I might demean myself even more than this and be lowly in my own sight, but with the female slaves of whom you have spoken, with them I am to be held in honor!”
At the end of the message I want to circle back to this passage and ask you all:
- Did David commit any sin at all? (Let’s not forget, David was no stranger to sin, the was the King, God’s chosen, but far from perfect.)
- If David did not sin, per se, could he have possibly made wiser, more humble decisions?
(Pray)
Back to the breakfast with Mark and Andy:
First Story:
Andy and Mark and I are at the same mind when it comes to Jesus. We view scripture the same way and we have very similar theology. (I would hope so, being the leaders of the Church, right?)
We have very similar practical application of theology. We love the Lord. We love our wives. We love our children and we have a lot more in common than what we don’t have in common.
But there were three separate particular instances that came up with music and we were only in agreement on one of those three things. On every other issue, “the vote” was usually two to one or we each has our or individual views, and it was 1-1-1.
For example, Mark commented “I don’t like song X” and I said “Oh, I really like that song!” and we all laughed. Then, an hour later Mark texted me and said “I’m pulling into the gas station and I found myself humming song X.”
At one point I asked Andy, “Over the last 10 years, where do you think our music program was at it’s strongest?” And Andy gave me a thoughtful and honest response.
(Side note: I kid you not less than an hour later in a totally unrelated conversation Mary and I were talking in the kitchen and she, totally unprompted, shared with me that that same period of time that Andy was referring to was the time that she really struggled connecting to the worship regularly.)
Back to Perkins:
So after about 10 minutes of discussing individual songs and styles, it became clear that three men who share so much in common found it extremely hard to find even the simplest common ground when it comes to songs we all agree on.
So if three of us all of the same mind theologically, all with the same dreams and desires for our little growing Church, are struggling to come up with even four or five songs that we all really like what are the chances that in a normal Sunday you’re going to like all the music? You’re not.
The only thing we agreed on was that it was right for me to vet the songs before we sing them and I want to share what I mean by that and what protocols I look at.
What PB looks for in a vetted song
1. Theological integrity (lyric focused)
2. Style pace and flow (Is it too spicy, or twangy, or repetitive!) (This is why we have blended music)
3. Projected Participation Level (This is why I have a mandate to Angie and the music team that we only introduce ONE new song a month)
4. From Angie Leslie: Does it directly address “God” or “Jesus”?
Difference between private and public songs
“If you have blended worship, no-one will be totally happy, but there will be something for everyone.” -Mark Leslie
Let’s review some things we know, but it would be good for all of us to hear again:
Singing songs is worship, worship is rooted in humility; therefore, we need to be more humble in our view of music.
“Shout to the Lord” may not be your favorite song, or style, or pace, but it could be for the person next to you.
Phil 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;
“Consider others before yourself” and as an act of service, don’t complain about that song, don’t grumble about it, rejoice that THEY are receiving from it
Look, real talk: Mary and I have been here since 1998, that’s 27 years, have any of you? I believe Jodie was the next to come later that year, then the Ronks in 2001, then the Cathy Sexton and the Mills in 2002 when we moved into this building…
So, I’ve been here 27 years as a member, 25 years on staff, 24 as your senior pastor….in that time, we’ve had some challenging times when it comes to music, but this is not one of them.
We have an amazing assortment of incredibly talented singers and musicians who are willing to serve and participate, but that doesn’t mean that every song is going to be your favorite or even your favorite genre or style, but it does mean that being part of a congregation means putting yourself second and worshiping together because, to be as blunt, corporate worship isn’t about you. It’s about Christ, and making sure the person to your left and right has an opportunity to connect with Him.
(On a larger scale, what we are really talking about here is approaching church as a servant rather than a consumer.)
When you’re in your car riding to your job, when you are in your home, when you are incorporating music into your quiet time, I encourage you, no, I implore you, to choose the music that best helps resonate with your soul to connect with the eternal God we serve. But this here, this is different. This is about corporately worshiping of God in unison and about considering your neighbor before yourself.
Did David commit any sin at all? (take answers)
PB’s answer:
Maybe. He may have, in good intentioned zeal, confused public and private worship, and dancing as he did in public, may not have considered the weaker brother and sister (Romans 14) and acted out of a lack of humility and empathy.
If David did not sin, per se, could he have possible made wiser, more humble decisions? (take answers)
PB’s answer:
He certainly was not considering the feelings of his wife. We don’t know if David did this type of thing again, but I can tell you that if I made a joke that I thought was hilarious from the pulpit or in a corporate setting and everyone laughed, and nobody had a problem with it, and then later my wife pulled me aside and said it personally offended her I would have to recalculate whether I would ever do that again partly because my wife brings wisdom to a situation that I don’t always see, and partly because if it comes at the expensive offending, my wife, and there are other equally godly options, I have no desire to offend her just to exercise my own freedom in Christ. This is what the whole of Roman 14 is talking about.