On visiting Otter Creek Church of Christ

[DCR]

Is worship even about God being the "audience" watching us perform?

What does God really desire of us?

Micah 6
6"With what shall I come before the LORD,
  and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
  with calves a year old?
7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
  with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
  the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"
8He has told you, O man, what is good;
  and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
  and to walk humbly with your God?

James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

[DCR]

Wow, twd.  We had the same thought.

[twd]

Good verses, DCR.

[janine]

Find me some bad verses... :)

[twd]

Find me some bad verses... :)

The ones in the Koran?

[HRoberson]

I've heard this idea of God being the audience all my life, but I question it.  Does God sit on the heavenly throne watching and listening as we perform, and then applaud or boo at the end depending on how well we've done?

Depends on what we're talking about. Worship per se, can only have God as its audience. However, our assemblies include events other than worship. We are told to build each other up, to encourage one another, and to sing to one another. In those cases, we are the audience in our assemblies; God may be watching, but He's not the primary or immediate audience.

I'm not at all sure how we miss the point that people are the audience when we sing songs like "Oh, Why Not Tonight." Clearly, the bum sitting next to me is the audience.

Or if we proclaim anything during the Lord's Supper, to whom do we proclaim it? To God? No. But to the other people present.

HR

[twd]

Worship is not about audience, whether God or people.

[DCR]

So, are we technically worshiping when we sing "O Why Not Tonight?"



If not, then bring out the instruments.

...but only on invitation songs.

[HRoberson]

So, are we technically worshiping when we sing "O Why Not Tonight?"
If not, then bring out the instruments.

...but only on invitation songs.

Technically worshipping? No, if God is the object and target of worship. But then we're gonna have folks argue that everything we do is worship. OK, OK. The fact is that worship, praise, adoration are appropriately and only aimed at God. The other stuff we do in our assemblies (like announcements for instance) are not worship in the narrow meaning that we like to argue over - and that meaning that allows us to argue over other stuff like women's roles, etc.

Of course, I'm not sold on no music in the assembly on Biblical grounds.

HR