Naomi's Notes - 10/08/08
Most parents go through at least one phase of correcting bad language that their children have picked up somewhere (never from home, of course). A former pastor of mine, trying to reframe his 4-year old daughter's newly-acquired poor linguistic habits, instructed her that whenever she used the word "God," she'd better be ready to pray...or else. Riding in the car with him one day, he again heard her say, "Oh, God!" Catching his accusing glance out of the corner of her eye she quickly bowed her head, closed her eyes, and added reverently, "Thank you for the.....," listing several of her blessings followed by an amen. He couldn't help but smile at her resourcefulness.
My first college roommate and I were both raised in devout Southern Baptist families. One day we were having a discussion about the preponderance of swearing amongst the student body at our Christian-based college. Our traditional religious upbringing had taught us the difference between a general "dirty mouth" (the list of unacceptable words still fluctuates) vs. swearing or using God's or Jesus' name as expletives. Taking God's name in vain was a "thou shalt not" from The Ten Commandments.
During our discussion my roommate said her dad once told her that to take God's name in vain meant to use God's name "insincerely." Our conversation has stuck with me through the years. Not that every word that has ever crossed my lips has been exactly worthy of broadcasting, but generally I am not prone to bad language.
However, using my roommate's definition, I sometimes catch myself using the Lord's name in vain. And it happens most often during worship - especially while singing. As a musician who has been "churched" all my life, I could probably be a successful contestant if there were ever a church music version of Wayne Brady's Don't Forget the Lyrics show. I can sing from memory verse after verse of hymns and gospel songs, sacred solos and oratorios.
The problem is that it's too easy to sing only notes and words; to sing without engaging voice and mind and heart; to sing glibly or "insincerely." In order to really worship, I have to focus on God, not just on matching notes and words correctly. True worship is a similar concept to active listening vs. passive listening--worship takes sustained effort.
To sing words glibly or to just "go through the motions" on Sunday mornings is not worship at all. True worshippers can't sit in the pew with an "I'm here, aren't I? Hey, what else do you want?" attitude. Matthew 22 says to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." We are to offer our whole selves to God as an acceptable sacrifice during worship. To do less is to dishonor God.
Gary Thomas, in Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God sums things up pretty well: "It amazes me how casually I can sing songs of deep, almost heroic commitment. It's as if I think, 'As long as I'm singing, the words I say don't really matter. God knows it's just a song.' While my mind wanders I promise to bow before the Lord, to proclaim His name, ...to go so far as to die to express my faith. Yet these words may be sung with scarcely more emotion than I feel when I'm ordering a hamburger. How often do we Christians 'take the Lord's name in vain' during our worship?"
See you in worship this Sunday -
Naomi