Rob Witham

“How lovely are your dwellings, Yahweh of Armies!
My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of Yahweh.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84 WEB)

Why is it that a song like this sounds so strange to Christians? Generations of God-seekers sang this and similar songs in worship to Yahweh. I guess for many Christians it is safer to stay in the realm of theology and theory than to risk moving in to relationship. We are comfortable talking about God; we are not nearly so comfortable talking to God. Isn’t it odd that we have to emphasize to our potential converts that Christianity is about a relationship not about a religion? Is that not proof in itself that we have done a poor job modeling a relationship with God?

I grew up in church. I attended church regularly as well as sunday school programs, youth group meetings and Christian schools. I was raised in the Christian subculture - an opportunity that brought me tremendous advantage and saved me from much grief (Romans 3.1-ff). In my adult life I have spent years in Bible college and seminary and served in pastoral roles in churches across the country. Nonetheless, reflecting on more than three decades of Christian experience I have to say that I have seen the psalmist’s passion for God quite infrequently.

I rather suspect that if this inspired psalmist were to share this poem or song with most churches today he would be written off as “too charismatic” or too flighty and flaky. I suspect many Christians would prefer to ignore or silence someone bringing this kind of passion for Yahweh to our assemblies. (I am of course well aware that sometimes very unspiritual people can put on a good front like this. I have known too many people who know what to say to sound spiritual but their life is full of corruption.) God has always reserved a remnant of faithful for himself. Throughout the centuries there have always been those who willingly forsook all else to pursue God, those who genuinely longed for God. History would suggest that those that truly pursue God above all else are usually misundertood and seldom appreciated in the general assembly. Even today God is raising up a remnant for himself. This is evident in several places like the emerging church movement and the neomonastic movement. Neither movement has a clearly defined, central leadership. Surprisingly there are local expressions of these movements popping up all over the globe. One cannot help but see the hand of God systematically calling people out for himself.

My argument is that our practice often does not match Scripture. Westerners are much more comfortable in the realm of logic and reason than in the realm of spirit, feeling and emotion. However, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4.24). And let’s not forget Jesus’ preceding statement: “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers” (John 4.23 WEB). Scripture is clear that worship that pleases God is not possible if we stay only in the realm of logic, reason and theology. Having all the “right” answers does not matter if our heart is not in what we are doing. James wrote “You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2.19 WEB). I bring my wife no joy if I do all the right things in our marriage but she knows my heart is not in it; What brings her joy is the knowledge that my actions arise out of my love for her. First my heart must be in the right place and then good fruit can follow. Likewise, any activity we direct at God that does not come from a pure heart is just superficial or (dare I say it) hypocritical.