The First Worshippers of Jesus
Firsts are always significant in the Bible. I've been thinking about a few different 'first' appearances lately, the first musician documented in Gen 4 (which I'll talk about in another posting) and the first worshippers of Jesus.
Let me tell you about that...
I remember one Christmas getting something from my local shop and glancing at the nativity scene on the counter. As I picked up my change and left, a really strong thought compelled me to rush back home and check out how that scenario was actually documented in the bible.
You know what I discovered? The first people who voluntarily and sacrificially worshipped Jesus for who he was (it seems that they 'got it' before everyone else) were a crowd of 'New Age', Eastern Mystic Stargazers! Think about it - they didn't have any covenant relationship with God, they broke His previously stated rules (for example, astrology was forbidden in Old Testament Law) yet God guided them with dreams and cosmic signposts to the exact spot where Jesus was.
And when they arrived "...they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." Matt 2:11
To me this whole scene just screams grace! It also makes me realise that perhaps folks who would be considered spiritually 'suspect' by most of us in mainstream western Christianity are actually closer to the heart of God than we think.
It also makes me think that as a musician and worship leader that there may be something to be explored here. If they were compellingly drawn to the presence of Jesus back then, then why not now?
If God reveals his presence when we worship (Ps 22:3) surely this is a reason to explore creative ways of taking our music/worship into alternative spirituality/'new age' contexts?
I must confess that the idea excites me - let me know what you think.
(Interestingly, there is no biblical reference at all to there being just 3 wise men, infact some historians say that there could have been as many as 200 of them in the posse! There certainly were enough of them to cause a stir in Jerusalem when they arrived, for it caught the unwelcome attention of Herod.)
Let me tell you about that...
I remember one Christmas getting something from my local shop and glancing at the nativity scene on the counter. As I picked up my change and left, a really strong thought compelled me to rush back home and check out how that scenario was actually documented in the bible.
You know what I discovered? The first people who voluntarily and sacrificially worshipped Jesus for who he was (it seems that they 'got it' before everyone else) were a crowd of 'New Age', Eastern Mystic Stargazers! Think about it - they didn't have any covenant relationship with God, they broke His previously stated rules (for example, astrology was forbidden in Old Testament Law) yet God guided them with dreams and cosmic signposts to the exact spot where Jesus was.
And when they arrived "...they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." Matt 2:11
To me this whole scene just screams grace! It also makes me realise that perhaps folks who would be considered spiritually 'suspect' by most of us in mainstream western Christianity are actually closer to the heart of God than we think.
It also makes me think that as a musician and worship leader that there may be something to be explored here. If they were compellingly drawn to the presence of Jesus back then, then why not now?
If God reveals his presence when we worship (Ps 22:3) surely this is a reason to explore creative ways of taking our music/worship into alternative spirituality/'new age' contexts?
I must confess that the idea excites me - let me know what you think.
(Interestingly, there is no biblical reference at all to there being just 3 wise men, infact some historians say that there could have been as many as 200 of them in the posse! There certainly were enough of them to cause a stir in Jerusalem when they arrived, for it caught the unwelcome attention of Herod.)
posted by Andy Rogers at 9:34 pm
5 Comments:
Andy, this is so significant!! We do dismiss people who are closer to the heart of God than we first realised - I love how God leads those who are on his trail... even if we think they've got it wrong.
hey man, i love that..'when they arrived, they bowed down and worshipped him'.
brilliant.
interesting for me too in that they had a journey to get there, but they knew what they were searching for. I think we need to journey in our worship, not in a wierdly experimental way, but in a way that we need to seek and yearn after God and then when we find him (seek and ye shall find), we too will have no other response than to bow down i think
The fact that God revealed his truth to the Magi in this case and drew them to the Lord Jesus does not validate their "new age" practices for our worship. It is the same as someone being led to the Lord after a night of drinking or drug taking. By God's grace they get saved but that in no way validates their sin as a means to communion with God.
We are told by Jesus himself that worship should be in Spirit and in truth. No room for "alternative spirituality" or "new age" practices there (note: new age is really old age and even predates the new testament!!).
In your drive for greater "creativity" be careful that you don't swallow a camel.
Peace,
William
Hi William
Thanks for your comment.
It appears I may not have communicated very clearly in that original posting
I take your point about being careful and I have no intention of adopting practices that are not in line with the Book. Here are some of my thoughts on this.
Ps 22 talks about how God 'inhabits' the praises of his people - He delights to reveal Himself when people worship Him. As a result when the presence of God is experienced people are compellingly drawn to Him.
I am convinced from both scripture and experience that people come to faith, either directly or indirectly, around worshippers and worshipping communities. For this reason, as a worship leader, I have this yearning to take worship into contexts that may be outside the norm, perhaps getting booked to play at 'New Age' festivals etc. If God does reveal his presence in the midst of worshippers then counterfeits get exposed next to the 'real thing'.
I think we are compelled to go into all the world with the gospel of the Kingdom and there is a place for musicians and artists to engage their cultures in the same way that a Christian accountant for example should also engage in the world of business.
Hope that makes sense?
Cheers - Andy
Andy, thank you for the clarification. I'm a worship leader too and I know (in both experiential and doctrinal senses) that you are right about the presence of God being tangible as we worship (hey, Jesus actually promised to turn up!). That indeed is a powerful thing. Music, in my opinion, is a spiritual opener (for good or for bad) - humans respond to it in a spiritual way. Now, clearly if the music is accompanyied by "lies" and / or demonic influences then that's going to be a bad thing. Then again, if the words are intelligible and focussed on Godly truth then the music opens the heart and the mind gets blessed - the unsaved might even open themselves to the drawing of the Holy Spirit and receive the truth of the gospel. This is what the Salvation Army did at the turn of the last century. However, in a "concert" where 10's, 100's or 1000's of people (I'm sure that you know the "buzz") are worshipping the band, the music, the church, the worship leader or anything else that is not God, then that is also bad, even if it is a Christian endeavour. It was once said "I must decrease, He must increase". This is a concern for me in the modern church where we are so professional in our music-based worship (nothing to do with you personally or your church as I have never even met you or been to Causeway!). For example, in a rock concert (say, radiohead or my current favourite Snow Patrol) the mass euphoria felt is real because the (non-God) worship is real and it is spiritual - people actually come away "touched". You see, everyone there is there with common purpose and focus - you can understand why the tower of Babel was destroyed!!! The problem for us worship leaders is to keep magnifying Jesus and to avoid becoming the unwilling focus of people's hearts (i.e. worship of us or our "stuff"). This is difficult, but Christ must be glorified. Good wishes with moving outside the Church to use music in evangelism - I have no problem with it but you must be careful. Preach the gospel with signs following. Peace in the Lord, William.
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