Worship & Psalm 33, part 2

In Psalm 33, the psalmist begins by describing the type of person who worships or rejoices in God. "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous." Righteous worshipers are the ones God wants. But this begs the question: who is an unrighteous worshiper?

Let's talk a bit about types of worshipers. We've all seen people worship in a way that strikes us the wrong way. Now this is dangerous ground because it sounds judgmental. But that's how our minds work. We constantly make judgments -- right or wrong -- about things we see around us. We certainly shouldn't judge the way other people worship.

But let's admit that not everyone has the best motives when they worship publicly. Jesus addressed this problem in the Sermon on the Mount (see particularly Matt 6). Here are some types of worshipers who seem less than righteous.

(1) Show offs. Some want to receive praise for their worship. Whether it's the long, flowery prayer or the aggressively raised hands, some people want to be seen by others. They crave attention, and worshiping well in front of others is one way they think they can excel. As Jesus says, "Those who desire the praise of people have their reward." In other words, praise from people, not from God, is all that a worshiping show-off will get.

(2) Show-ups. Some want to put others down with their worship. This typically happens in divisive environments. It's where one half of the church wants a new style and the other half is angry about that style. So it's a temptation for the ones who want one way or the other to show up the others by clapping extra-vigorously or waving their arms with renewed enthusiasm or turning up the amp a little extra. Jesus said, "All who exalt themselves will be humbled."

(3) Camouflagers. Some feel insecure or guilty about their life situation. They may have major shortcomings that weigh them down. Instead of sharing these burdens with the church, camouflagers overcompensate by becoming the holiest of holy worshipers. They try to loudly "amen" the preacher, sing with extra gusto or donate money with a flourish, all to distract attention from major problems. But God's opinion matters most, and he sees right through this kind of false worship.

The type of worshiper acceptable to God is a "righteous" person. This might seem a bit depressing, right? I mean, who can claim to be righteous? How many of us have it all together? If we have to be righteous to go to church, wouldn't most people choose to stay home?

But the psalmists repeatedly tell us that the righteous are NOT perfect people. A righteous man or woman trusts God and is grateful for God's help. That's it. Psalm 26:1 uses the word "righteousness" in parallel with the concept of "trusting in the Lord." Or as Psalm 19:12-13 says, God watches over those who trust in him and keeps our faults and flaws from taking over our lives. God's intervention makes us righteous or blameless -- our perfection doesn't do it, cause we can never be perfect.

The "righteous" of Psalm 33:1 are those who have committed their lives to God. Since they trust in him and know his power, they can naturally rejoice and praise him. These are the kinds of worshipers envisioned by the psalmist. Not perfect people. Just those whose sins will not be counted against them.

Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Rejoice, for his love is without end.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Many people love and praise the Lord in different ways. It is not ours to judge that we are righteous and they are not because they raise their hands, amen loudly, or worship well. As Christians, it is ours to love them and HIS to judge their righteousness.
Jason Locke said…
Couldn't agree with "anonymous" more. Did you read part 3 of this post? We are to be self-critical, not critical of others.

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