January 4th, 2008
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FacebookCommenting on “Dry-eyed Faith,” Lane Chaplin mentioned a recent show from the White Horse Inn, titled “Happy Clappy Worship.” After hearing it I thought it was good enough to mention here too.
Contemporary Christian worship is almost exclusively upbeat and “happy-clappy.” But is this the type of worship that is pictured for us in the book of Psalms? Tune in to this “best of” edition of the White Horse Inn to find out.
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I hope no one is suggesting there should be minimal or no joyous worship of the Lord when we gather together for worship? That our worship would be marked by weeping and mourning? Surely brokenness over sin has a place, but I’m just hoping no one is implying total mortification of worship.
I know for a fact that is the antithesis of the entire Bible. Joyous worship of the Lord, loud joyful singing, praises, songs, and even dancing, far outweigh the mourning aspect of worship. Remember we’re saved TO God, for God, to have eternal life and ENJOY God, not to be continually crushed by sin that has been dealt with at the merciful Cross. You tell me if that’s what God desires for His Elect? If we’re always hung up on our past sins, how can we possibly be put joyously to work for the Lord? What does it mean to “Be joyful always…” 1 Thes. 5:16-18 or “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Phil. 4:4-7. Does that equate to what Spurgeon implied? Of course, sin is not to be dealt with lightly, but thank God, that’s why Jesus dealt with it for us. Anyone with a new heart will know to get past the old and feed the new creation. I think it starts with rejoicing in the Lord. I have a big feeling this will be taken the wrong way, but that’s only because I’m not saying everything that can be said on the subject matter. Try to understand what I’m saying, and not what I’m NOT saying.
Just throwing that out there to make sure. By the way, being on a gov’t computer, I can’t ‘tune-in’ to the media you have there, so I don’t know what they’ve said, I’ll have to wait until I get home later. So if I seem like I’m missing the point, that’s why.
Love
Joe
Correct me if I am wrong, but I am yet to find a verse that says, “Blessed are those who are happy.” Or one that says, “The comfortable will be comforted.” (Mat. 5:4) But yeah Joe, I think I understand what you are saying, and I kind of agree with you. No one is really suggesting that worship is to be all tears. Rather that a true comfort and heavenly joy is the result of the mourning and hungering, etc. Mourning for sin isn’t something only unbelievers do, as though they were moved only by a fear of condemnation. I think it’s rather a mourning that we’ve failed, that we’ve offended God, and do so again and again. It’s like Paul’s cry in Romans 7, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Or as James said, “Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” (Jas. 4:9) Or like the tax collector who, “standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (Luk. 18:13) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Psa. 51:17). These are rare to find in the happy clappy churches.
Ben,
I think there’s a balance between godly sorrow and godly joy. I would be equally wary of a church that only mourned about sin, death, and how wretched they were (what a way to talk about God’s Chosen all the time…), as of one which ONLY spoke and ‘clapped’ about how joyful they were in the Lord and ingored their sins. A wise man will avoid all extremes.
As for you not finding a verse that says “Blessed are those who are happy”, you didn’t find one in the beatitudes because it’s not there. But you really have to take a look at what Mt.5 is saying in it’s own context of who Jesus was speaking to, and why. It’s a little different if you’re already been broken in spirit, mourning, and hungry, and then been brought to the Lord. I’ll hit more on this in a second.
As for if it’s in the Bible as a whole or not to be happy/joyful [in the Lord (keyword)]…I think the verses I quoted from, among many others speak to how Christians are to be “Happy” if you will, but this is a godly, overabounding joy, exceedingly great, and infinite in measure. The more joyful you are in the Lord, the more joyful you find that you can be. Because, our peace and joy come from God Himself, who is infinite and never-ending.
As for the last parts you wrote, about broken and contrite spirits…
Paul wrote about his wretchedness, sure, but if you’re honest, and you are, you know very well he wrote much more about his overabounding joy and peace in the Lord. Like I said, a balance.
In the Bible, after their conversion, did anyone continue to weep and mourn continually over their sin? Of course not, you always see them practically leaping for joy at what Jesus had wrought in them. He who sins little [or thinks they sin little], loves little. I’m just saying Ben, we ain’t winning any points with God beating ourselves up over how terrible we are. Does that make sense? We don’t win bonus points in heaven based on how upset we are over sin. Think about it. God wants laborers, not so much on the mourning. We did mourn, but now we are COMFORTED. Don’t forget the second part of those verses in Matthew, I don’t think they’re totally referring to a nebulous time in the unknown future when we’re in Heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn,
*for they will be comforted*.
Blessed are the meek,
*for they will inherit the EARTH*.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
*for they will be filled*.” Matt. 5:4-6 (my own emphasis)
We came from death to life, remember? When we stand outside of God’s redeeming love and grace, we mourn, become meek, thirst for righteousness, we are wretched, and God picks us up and turns that all around. Isn’t that what Jesus is saying there? We then mourn, or even now mourn, and are comforted by God. A fine balance indeed. I didn’t say we shouldn’t have godly sorrow over sin, don’t get me wrong.
As for James, he was obviously calling a certain group of people to repentance, because as the beginning of the chapter lays out, they were sinning. So, his rebuke to mourn and weep, was well placed for that circumstance. Should that be for all of us, all the time though? Or most of the time? I don’t think so, I think that would be twisting the Bible’s arm, so to speak, and not taking in to account the rest of Scripture. If we look at Titus 2, and we’re to live our lives in a way that make the teaching of our God and Savior attractive in every way, what does that say about how our demeanor should be? Will anyone be attracted to the teaching that gives the impression that abject depression is the “new creation in Christ”? That Jesus saved us so we could be depressed about our sins HE paid for and took away? How insulting to God. Pre-conversion has godly sorrow and repentance happening, but if that man looks at the rest of us and says “They’re still terribly depressed, they have no joy in them at all, this is not Jesus…”. Well, then we failed as a Church.
Don’t get me wrong, general REPENTANCE, and also when you first come to Christ, requires godly sorrow and mortification of self. But to wallow in this, and even bring it before God as “worship” continually, this…this should not be.
If I gave you a gift, how insulted would I be if you just walked around the rest of the day as if someone had just kicked your dog to death? Yeah yeah, metaphors aren’t perfect, but you get the idea.
As for Ps.51, David was repenting of sin, we should take his statements in that context. As sinners, we should be contrite and broken about that, but joyful for what God has done for us. Our joy should definitely outweigh (as it does in Scripture) the mourning aspect, as we are now ‘comforted’ by God.
I hope this comment makes what I’ve been trying to say a little more clear. Thanks much as always.
Joe
I think when we truly recognize what it is we have been saved from, joyful worship will be a natural response (but not the only response)
Where ‘happy clappy’ worship becomes a problem is where it used to stir a feeling or emotion up that isn’t really there.
I agree Dan.
I think Mark Kielar speaks rightly when he says that we can’t throw out one and hold on to the other; we must hold onto both. For example, I don’t believe that one can truly appreciate grace without understanding God’s judgment and the wrath this is to come. I don’t believe that one can hold to the fear of the Lord and let go of his sovereignty and holiness. Just as with those examples, I don’t believe one can hold on to joy without also hold on to mourning. As James said, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” (Jas 4:9) Paul, however, also says, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Php 4:4) How can one be joyful over forgiven sins without first being mournful of having them in the first place? I believe they cannot be separated. If they are, they become ineffectual, and we end up calling something “joy” when it is not truly joy and something else “sorrow”.
The problem with a group that preaches solely “fire and brimstone” is the entire counsel of God is neglected. The problem with a group that is solely “happy, clappy” is the same. Both of which are in contradiction to Paul’s admonition to Timothy to preach the whole counsel of God, in season and out which involves “holding onto both”, not one instead or over another. The Scripture that comes to mind with this is where Paul says, “What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1Co 1:12-13) The concept is that Christ cannot be divided so one shouldn’t hold to one teacher above another. What I’ve written above shows that this idea can also be applied as a rebuke to someone holding on to certain aspects of the counsel of God and neglecting others. The entire counsel, of course, is Christ “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3) and who is not divided.
That’s great, Lane! And well said! I agree with you completely.
Amen,
I appreciated the balanced comments.
You are not CHOSEN by God just because you go to Church. You are not SAVED just because you are baptised and have confessed Christ is the Son of God. And you certainly are not doing any work but arrogance to go around thinking you are saved (not very meek) and others are not and taking solace and joy in your supposed or imagined state. When we learn about Christ’s life and teachings, we learn about His suffering, His asceticism, and His daily struggles, not simply that He died in some sort of legalistic exchange to free us to be happy.
A misplaced emphasis is very dangerous.
“For he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13