"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34
Before I begin, I should note that some readers may consider this entire concept to be unnecessary at best, and a "useless wrangling" at worst. (1 Timothy 6:5) Be assured that my intent is to cause neither division nor confusion, but rather an honest and Biblical introspection that will prayerfully lead us to choose our words and thoughts about God wisely. Now that my disclaimer is out of the way, we shall see how much confusion I can actually avoid. This post will be very different than most, so please bear with me; there is a point.
More than once I've been accused of being overly analytical. This may well be. Nevertheless, I really question whether some of our church-y catch phrases are as Biblical as we think. On the surface, many of the things we say or hear regularly seem harmless. But I am convinced that just as wrong thinking produces wrong speaking, so also wrong speaking reinforces wrong thinking, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Behind nearly every statement lie several presuppositions, or things we take for granted as true. For example, by simply declaring something to be true one must presuppose that: 1) truth exists, 2) truth can be known, 3) language has meaning, and 4) language can accurately express truth. Certainly no one gives any thought to these assumptions in their conversations, unless you happen to be debating metaphysics and ontology with a postmodern thinker, (which, by the way, is not fun.) We don't give these ideas any conscious thought because they're simple, they're foundational; in a sense they are behind what we are trying to express. Thus, if we can see at least four presuppositions in such a basic statement as, "such and such is true," we must recognize that we are expressing countless others in our daily conversations; and yes, even in our worship.
Yet it is precisely here that many problems arise. We can assume too much, not enough, or the wrong thing(s). Due to this post's lengthy introduction, I will here discuss only two examples commonly used in the local church. (There are many more, I'm sure. Feel free to post one or more as a comment.)
"You are welcome in this place." When addressing God, it is often considered spiritual and humble to "welcome" Him in prayer or song. I understand the sentiment expressed here: we want to experience God in a special way and to make ourselves available to Him as He may work and teach. Yet think about the words we use and what they imply. Guests do not welcome their host; Hosts welcome their guests. The one who welcomes is the one who is, in a sense, in control, for he courteously invites others into his presence. The host's welcome is his to extend or to keep. I am not implying that the church building is the "house of God" and that God is the host--no, the Christian is the temple of God, and thus God is present in Him always, not just at special meetings. What I am saying is that we have such a man-centered view of life and worship that we put ourselves in the driver's seat, thinking we are doing something noble by inviting God to show up. Biblically, we are the ones who have been invited near to God through the Lord Jesus. (Ephesians 2:13) We would be both more humble and more confident in worship if we would maintain this mindset: He is the Lord, One who could have justly denied me access, but in Christ I am always seated at His right hand in the heavenlies. (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-3)
"He said, where two or three are gathered, there He is in the midst of them. Well, we've gathered, so He must be here." There are many variations of this error. The faulty presupposition here stems from a poor interpretation of Scripture. The verse in question is Matthew 18:20. It is the last verse in a long passage wherein Christ teaches about dealing with sin in yourself and others. (18:6-20) The last section of this passage deals with sin as it relates to the church body. (18:15-20) In verse 20 Jesus is referring to the "two or three witnesses" mentioned in verse 16: a quote from Deuteronomy 19:15 which deals with accusations and justice. All of this in Matthew 18:15-20, then, is a treatment of church discipline, not corporate worship. In effect, this teaches that Christ's authoritative stamp of approval rests on the decisions made by the local fellowship regarding the discipline of its members, if this is done according to His Word. To suggest that Jesus "shows up" only when at least two believers are praying together is to again diminish the doctrine of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and to further drive a wedge between what we perceive as the "sacred" and "secular" parts of our lives. Such a separation is most damaging; all aspects of life should be lived unto the Lord. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
The list goes on: "Be with us now as we leave," "We're going to give you an opportunity to receive Christ," etc. But I will spare you. Let us only resolve to be Biblical thinkers, that by God's grace in Christ Jesus we may truly worship the Lord both in Spirit and in truth.
