Convincing Convictions: Worshiping Like You're At The Footy

 

You might think this picture is taken of a worship service at a church, as people gather to declare their praise and devotion to the Living God.

I wish I could say you were right.

In my twenties I worked as a supervisor in a bar on the top level of Marvel Stadium, a huge 55,000 seat multi-level sports stadium in the heart of Melbourne, Victoria. On a rainy day or at night time, they would close the roof to make it a fully enclosed space. My bar was on the top level, so we got the full effect of the roaring crowd escalating and echoing through the arena. They had plastic chairs with spring-loaded seats, and so before the roar there was this inimitable 'clack' as tens of thousands of seats slammed shut as once, sounding like the sudden and monstrous downpour of hail as the crowd leapt unanimously to its feet.

This happens regularly at sporting stadiums around the world.

It's more than just noise.

It's the sudden expression of a collective will so passionately pronounced that is has an actual physical effect on the environment. Studies have shown that home teams win between 60-70% of the time. When the home crowd cheers their team's performance lifts, when the home crowd jeer the opposition's performance drops.

And all this over a bunch of (usually) overly-muscled fellas running around in shorts too small for them while chasing something not much more sophisticated than a pig bladder. 

But we do love our footy don't we?

I'm not saying don't love your footy, but it does raise a question.

If the collective expression of joy at a football match affects physical outcomes, how much might the collective expression of joy in a worship service affect spiritual outcomes?

What if we had the same raw energy and unabashed vibe going on in church halls on a Sunday morning around the world — what effect might that have?

In Psalm 34 the worship leader issues a call to worship and then says something interesting: "Let us magnify the Lord together!"

I have experienced this, where God becomes more present and moves powerfully in those settings. Which Dallas Willard comments is inevitable because God is a person and persons generally show up where they're wanted and feel welcomed and valued (The Divine Conspiracy).  

The Bible tells us to worship joyfully, but we cannot force joy and we cannot let our feelings determine our worship.

Luckily, God is a joyful being and his joy is far greater than anything we can conjure up by ourselves. 

Joyful worship is about receiving God's joy, more so than about bringing your own joy.

Our feelings follow our focus.

God looks joyfully on his worshipers and as they turn their gaze to him they will begin to reflect his own joy back to him.

We are to come to worship with whatever we are feeling, whether it be anger or sadness or boredom, and as we focus on God our feelings will gradually shift.

Again: our feelings follow our focus.

It is not something to be forced, but something that naturally arises as we focus on and allow ourselves to be moved by God.

And how can we not?

If we can celebrate passionately and spontaneously over our team kicking a goal at the footy, leading (perhaps) to a possible victory in a game on earth, how much more should we celebrate over the victory already won on our behalf by Jesus Christ in heaven?

After all, if you follow Jesus, you have been brought out of the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son he loves! (Col 1:13).

Isn't that worth a cheer?

Jesus the Christ, which means the anointed one, the long-awaited God and King who was promised  through the thousands of years of Old Testament history, came to earth, decisively defeated the powers of death and evil, and rose victorious from the dead bringing the first of the new creation (1 Cor 15:20).

Isn't that worth a hurrah?

Jesus the Son of God, now in heaven with God the Father, lavishing upon you that same power that raised him from the dead, the Holy Spirit, to equip you, empower you, and restore you to your full humanity (Rom 6:10).

Isn't that worth a fist pump?

Jesus, whom we know is returning one day to bring the redemption of all things, who invites us to dwell with him in the age to come, living forever in the full presence and glory of God in a renewed creation (Isa 65:17; Rev 21)

Isn't that worth a roar?

These are the things we sing about each week yet some people seem completely unmoved by them.

They claim: "I'm worshiping in my mind."

Imagine if a footy team kicked a winning goal at the last minute and tens of thousands of supporters just sat there, silently thinking, "Yes! Good kick!"

It would be an eerie silence indeed. 

An unconvincing conviction. 

The Bible says to worship expressively using our bodies, to sing, clap, and make a joyful noise (Psa 100).

I say let's bring on worship like we barrack at the footy.

I say let's be convincing about our convictions.

Cheers and shouts and claps and all of it.

A whole-hearted spontaneous roar as the People of God proclaim and declare his goodness and victory.

After all, the Bible says that when Jesus returns, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phi 2:10).

Let us be doing it already, in anticipation and joy of that day.

(insert actual fist pump here)