Last night kicked off our first night of Sr. High youth group. I was glad that it went pretty well. This year’s theme is simply called, “God & The Other”. Ironically, the series began by talking about ourselves, specifically for what purpose were we created.
Though I am somewhat familiar with the idea that “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism), I am not sure that accurately sums it all up. I was raised in thinking that we were created to worship God in all that we do. While there’s truth in that statement, I’ve always found it lacking.
From a very early age, I knew where I would spend my eternity and I tell you, it scared me. Clearly I remember hearing the older ladies behind me squawking as we sang these hymns in slow motion. Then the worship leader would proudly say, “This is what we’re going to do in heaven! Worship God with the angels for aaaalllllll eternity!” This distressed me because I found it nearly impossible to get through our Sunday morning worship service. In fact, I remember being relieved when the worship leader would say, “Only the 2nd & 4th verse!” because we were short on time. My motivations were suspect when I prayed for the rapture to come every Sunday.
Many times I can remember staying up at night feeling guilty that I did not want to go to heaven. I didn’t want to go to hell obviously but in heave (as it was described) I was afraid I would be bored and when every one would pray for the Lord Jesus to return soon, I would quietly hope that He would wait a little longer so I could enjoy a little more of this life before I had to fasten myself to the pew of eternal hymn-singing squawkers in heaven. I later discovered that I was not alone in this hope.
It seems to me that if all God wanted was for us to sing songs all eternity long to Him and interrupt the singing by shouting that He was amazing, awesome, indescribable, majestic and the many synonyms that Charles Wesley and Chris Tomlin have given us then God would not have created us in the way He had. Certainly, He went beyond that if we are in HIs image.
Consider our spiritual gifts. If all God wanted from us was to worship Him in the singing/praise sense, then why the spiritual gift of mercy? Why service? Why does James forbid favoritism? I mean hey, just sit on the floor, shut up, and consider yourself lucky enough to worship our God. Why do we crave community? And why are we so sexual? Why is the first command in Genesis to be fruitful and multiply? Further, it’s been pointed out that if reproducing was so more people could worship God, we could simply agree and hold hands or mutually consent of thinking up a person. Or since this a coffee-themed blog, we could procreate in a french press by boiling some water, putting in some human soul grounds and truly brew a Guatemalan or an Ethiopian. It would be much easier than pregnancy and much faster too. Could God be this inefficient or is it more likely that we have sold God’s idea of our purpose and worship short?
Most readers of this blog know that the definition of worship I’ve described here is very limiting and weak. It’s clear that God has created us to love Him and to love others. We are created to worship God, to worship Him together but we are also glorifying God when we show compassion, when we serve others, when we act justly and sacrificially. In my opinion, we as an evangelical Church have failed in showing this way of worship to our congregations and to our youth groups.
The problem is if we make God only to be worshipped, we’ve objectified Him and drastically undermined what it means to be created in His image. We are created to be relational, to be creative, to rule with God and to love with Him. We are created to live in communion with God and with each other. it bears mentioning that when Jesus is asked (in Mark 12) what was the greatest command, he quoted the Shema and cannot limit our purpose to just loving God with all that we are but also the need to love each other. This is worship, this is our purpose and this is what Christians should be known for and this is essential to share. This is what we tackle as a youth group this year. I covet your prayers as we unlearn, relearn, and learn.
I think we were all put here to see how much responsibility we could handle in heaven.
we can”t just be here to work our entire lives then die.
I think every experience we are given is a test to see how we handle things, so he knows where to place us in heaven
Couldn’t one say that those things you mentioned about our purpose (to be relational, creative, etc.) are described in the words “enjoy him forever?” Just a thought.
Also, NT Wright’s “Surprised by Hope” really helped me with the question of whether heaven’s a place of endless hymn-singing. It’s definitely a question worth discussing in youth group, as with any Christian.
Hope you’re well!
@Chris K – yes absolutely, one could say that and it should be said. The description we evangelicals normally give about heaven usually portrays God as some kind of “statue of worship” that all of creation directs their attention towards. At some point we take a break, run back to our mansions on the streets of gold around the crystal sea, change into a newer white robe and get back for the next service.
Ok, so I’ve never heard it said like that, but I am piecing together what I’ve collected over the years. (Maybe I made up the part of putting on a newer robe ;-)
I started Surprised and put it down. I’m looking forward to really reading through it. Still, many of my friends have and I’m pretty familiar with his thesis. Glad to see that you’re reading NT Wright. You are always welcome to share your thoughts here.
All is good here – hope you are too. Will check stop over soon.
@Alysssa, Thanks for commenting, I’m always curious to how people find my blog.
For the sake of discussion, though I respect your opinion, I don’t really see our time on earth as you describe it. Though I believe our actions have consequences, the problem I see in your description is that it makes life look like some huge college entrance exam. It’s like earth is one giant SAT test that we are taking and God is the committee that determines whether our score earns us a state-school quality heaven, an ivy league one or a community-college one.
I’m not sure we can understand what heaven will be like (but it’s a lot of fun to discuss). So far I’m comfortable to conclude that it includes the presence of God and our state of mind is the fulfilled feeling that we wish would never end.
Its because there’s so much more to salvation than just “getting into heaven”…
“A sure warrant for looking forward with hope to deification of human nature is provided by the incarnation of God, which makes man god to the same degree as God himself became man…. Let us become the image of the one whole God, bearing nothing earthly in ourselves, so that we may consort with God and become gods, receiving from God our existence as gods. For it is clear that He who became man without sin (cf. Heb. 4:15) will divinize human nature without changing it into the divine nature, and will raise it up for his own sake to the same degree as He lowered himself for man’s sake. This is what St Paul teaches mystically when he says, ‘…that in the ages to come he might display the overflowing richness of His grace’ (Eph. 2:7).”
St. Maximus the Confessor
slothful one,
Amen and Amen.
Wham bam thank you, ma’am, my qusoitens are answered!
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