Creekside Church Sermon of March 5, 2000 "How to Make a Total Waste of a Sunday Morning" Mark 9:2-9	Rev. David Bibbee
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I would like you to reflect with me about worship this morning. I want you to think about how you would answer someone who asked, "What's the big deal about worship?" I especially want us to consider what worship is, what it does, and specifically, who worship is for.

Let's begin by looking at our gospel lesson. It is Mark's version of Jesus' transfiguration. On the calendar of the Christian year, the Sunday before Lent begins is Transfiguration Sunday, and it recounts the story of the disciples Peter, James and John climbing to the top of a mountain with Jesus. Whenever the Bible tells a story of someone going mountain climbing, you can be certain that something important is about to happen.

Before their eyes Jesus was transfigured. His appearance was dazzling. His clothing turned the whitest of white. The veil which had only been parted enough to give glimpses of Jesus' identity, was on that mountaintop lifted and the voice of God spoke from the cloud leaving no doubt that Jesus was indeed God's son. It was a mysterious, numinous, ineffable, indescribable experience...the kind which instinctively brings one to their knees in awe, and the word that best describes the experience is...worship.

Let's not be critical of Peter's desire to build three booths for Jesus and his friends Moses and Elijah. Sometimes when in the middle of an indescribable experience, we might say or do stupid, unnecessary things. Peter said that since he and the boys had been privileged to witness the event, why not preserve it and build three little chapels for Jesus and Moses and Elijah. No sooner had they witnessed the awesome sight than they were trying to do something with it...to make something practical and concrete of it.

Given the number of times you have been in worship, it could be assumed that each of you know enough about worship to define it. I want to share an imaginary scenario with you. Let's imagine we have intercepted a transmission between an alien vessel and its mother ship after the alien has attended an American worship service:

"Today I visited a place called church. The earthlings sit in straight rows and read the same thing to each other. Some chosen ones make special tones while their leader waves, points, smiles and grimaces. At certain times everyone is encouraged to make tones. Not all comply. Then another one talks a long time. Everyone sit still. Some sleep. When it's over they debrief each other. The major emphasis is upon what was said, the performance of the tone section, and whether the participants knew the tonal arrangements. They call this worship."

The alien described the act of worship, but did not understand the essence. Worship isn't just rituals. Worship is not what you have when adding the sum total of the sitting, standing, singing, praying, and listening. While considering my definition of worship, I remember a dream I had three years ago. Twig and I were seated in a large, gorgeous sanctuary, decorated with purple carpet, fabulous stained glass windows and a sanctuary design which drew your gaze upward to the heavens. Banners and Christian symbols were prominently displayed. The only thing missing was people. We were alone in the sanctuary.

Then two young women with soft, beautiful voices began to sing. Then little clusters of people appear throughout the sanctuary each adding their voices to the song. I had never heard the hymn, but it was the most beautiful I had ever heard. As the sanctuary filled, everyone was caught up in a wonderful spirit of exhilaration. Hands were raised and faces gazed upward. People were offering their best for God's all, just as the disciples were caught up in the splendor of Jesus' mystical transfiguration.

The word worship means "worth-ship." To worship is to give our devotion to that which is worth worshipping. Everyone worships. It doesn't matter whether one is religious or not. Some people claim they are atheist, but even they still worship. Whether it be a philosophy or some ideal or ethic, everyone gives themselves to something greater than themselves. We can't help it because we all have a need to attach ourselves to that which is beyond us. The issue isn't whether we will worship, but is what we worship worthy of our worship?

Why do we worship? We worship to remember the saving acts of God in history. We confess our sin but give thanks because God forgives us. We worship because in Jesus he taught us how best to live and how, by giving ourselves to him we have hope for our lives. We trust that because of His resurrection, death will not have the final word for us. God has made it possible for us to glorify him and enjoy him forever.

But the worth of worship isn't evident to everyone. The culture we live in looks at what we do as a waste of a Sunday morning that could be spent at more useful pursuits. What do you get out of worship? What's the point? What good does it do? My answer might startle you, but I would say that we get nothing out of worship. "There is no point."

Praising God doesn't do anything for us.

For a moment, think about your best friend and what makes your relationship with them so special. How would you react if I asked you, "What good does having a friend like Bob or Betty do for you?" My guess is you would find such a question inappropriate, if not offensive. Why? Obviously your life is enriched by having them as a friend. You wouldn't spend time together if you didn't enjoy each other's company. But friendship isn't based upon what good it does. Your friendship is its own reward. If the only reason we have friends is to benefit or profit from them, we would always manipulating one another for personal gain.

Now ask yourself this...why is God the love of my life? This corrupt culture has taught us to evaluate everything on the basis of, "What's in it for me?" Before we make a commitment, we want to know the benefit. We are reluctant to make promises without perks. Given this attitude, it's no wonder that this kind of thinking has established a foothold in the church concerning worship.

Negatively stated, it's a voice that sounds like this: "I didn't get anything out of worship today," or "I wasn't fed." Sensitive Christians would find such comments crass and crude. But what about some of the other reasons we give for worship? "I feel better after I've attended worship." "It's relevant to the needs of our family." "At the end of the week I'm drained. I worship...to get my batteries recharged...to fill up my spiritual fuel tank for the days ahead." "I worship each Sunday in hopes of receiving illumination and inspiration." "I come to learn relevant truths for every day life." "I worship because the preacher helps me consider the truth in different ways." Sometimes we cite the research that says people who worship regularly experience less depression, a drop in blood pressure and heart rate, a quicker recovery from illness, less conflict at home and by nearly every standard of well-being, they are better off and more at peace than those who do not worship.

Sounds like a good case for worship, but it's all wrong. Worship that is concerned with my needs and feelings, my questions and concerns, puts me at the center and not God. Using the analogy of your best friend, do you evaluate your relationship with God on the basis of what good you get out of it or is our relationship to and worship of God its own reward? The litany of benefits I mentioned are real, but those blessings are by products of putting the praise and gratitude to God first. Soren Kierkgaard reminded us that we are not an audience in the pews with all the actions directed toward us. He said that God is in the pews and we are in the chancel with the choir, the musicians and the pastor directing our worship and praise toward God.

While the world is left to find meaning and usefulness by itself for itself, the church gives itself to the wasteful exercise we call worship, if, for no other reason that God loves us, completely and eternally, and has given us Christ as the greatest sign that he loves us so.

God is the wholly other. There should be nothing glib nor routine about worship. To see how small we are, and to measure our goodness and our achievements against the holiness of a God who is beyond time and space, who was before time itself, who alone is worthy of our worship, brings us to our knees and makes us aware of just how much we need his mercy. But it also creates in us a joyous abandon because all that we have needeth, his hand hath provided.

Worship is a wonderful way to waste time with God, not for what we shall get, but for everything we have already received. It's not about us...it's all about him. So let me leave you with an insight of someone who said:

To worship God means to serve him. One way is to do things for him that you need to do-sing songs for him, create beautiful things for him, give things up for him, tell him what's on your mind and in your heart, in general rejoice in him and make a fool of yourself for him the way lovers have always made fools of themselves for the one they love.

A Quaker meeting, a Pontifical high mass, the family service at First Presbyterian, a holy roller happening-unless there is an element of joy and foolishness in the proceedings, the time would be better spent doing something useful.

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