On November 21, 2021, I (Jack) preached about gratitude and thanksgiving. Not unusual for that time of year, however, the sermon raised a couple of questions, concerns, and even offenses—a preacher’s nightmare. So, I asked a number of people what they thought, and here’s what I’ve learned.
First, I realized that I publicly called out a bunch of men, my brothers, in front of their families without first giving them the same opportunity I had to work through Scripture; something that took weeks and months of study, prayer, and patience. For that, I wish I could go back and deliver the sermon differently. Ever wish you could go back and articulate your thoughts differently to the people you love? I’m still working through that guilt and shame because of how much I love you, my church family, and because I want to be a good under shepherd.
Second, I took too little time to work through the personal and sacred act of worship (orthopraxy), with an audience that I knew beforehand had a history of practicing differently for multiple generations. I thank God that His idea of shepherding us includes patience and wisdom...how I need and want more of that! And it’s not just our history that colors our theology. There have been movements of people/denominations with bad theology who have perverted the practice of praise. This has become a volatile topic because of how intimately connected it is to our relationship with God. And the way I spoke about such a sensitive and personal issue alienated some of our brothers and sisters.
I am truly sorry for this, and can only ask for your forgiveness. Would you forgive me?
Third, my delivery and emphasis covered up some of the important truths that makeup the doctrine of praise. One, God does not command that we raise our hands every time we praise Him. There are different expressions of worship and praise: singing, dancing, shouting, playing an instrument, praying (confession of guilt or truth, adoration, giving thanks), raising your hands, bowing, kneeling, and even lying prostrate on the ground. You can’t do all of those at the same time, nor is there any Scriptural basis to infer that all must be done every time you come to public worship. Whole books have been written on the practice of praising God from the Scriptures, and no man can preach it all within a single point of one sermon.
I wanted to take this staff journal and a moment on Sunday to apologize for the way I communicated. I love God and you, and I want to do this right. So, December 12, we’re going to look deeper into worship and praising God. And we are going to ask: “Is the church commanded to praise God, and are there particular ways in which He desires each of us to praise Him, like singing or raising our hands in public praise?” That’s the real question, regardless of how much time it takes us to study and search the Scriptures.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jack