+DEV+ Worship in a Minor Key

Date: November 21, 2011 9:01 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Worship in a Minor Key

Worship in a Minor Key

"For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave." (PSALMS 88:3)
Scripture Focus: Psalm 88

I've often heard worship leaders encourage congregations to leave their troubles and cares behind when they enter the sanctuary to worship. While I can understand the sentiment, statements like these seem to suggest either that worship is somehow disconnected from our everyday struggles or that worship is not an appropriate place for emotions like grief or sadness.

Yet Scripture suggests just the opposite. First, our worship is intimately connected to our everyday life because the God we worship is one who acts in history - in our everyday lives. He forgives real sins, defeats real enemies, and saves real people like you and me. Secondly, grief and sadness are entirely appropriate emotions in worship. Our reading for today is a supreme example of a real believer struggling with real problems, bringing his complaint to the Lord. What father would not want to hear from his children when they are troubled? Yet we resist ending with lament. For Jesus, the true voice in this psalm, has finally defeated our ultimate enemy, turning our mourning into joy.

Insight: "His Anger Lasts Only A Moment, But His Favor Lasts A Lifetime; Weeping May Remain For A Night, But Rejoicing Comes In The Morning." (Psalm 30:5)