This summer, we’re looking at the ways in which interruptions – big and small alike – illuminate that which we really value. We know this all too well – when we are disrupted and, therefore, reminded of how little control we have over our lives, we are not typically a savory people. From sick kids, demanding family members, to job changes, a move, a divorce, a death: we hide, yell, blame, escape, and panic to restore our “normal”, regardless of whether or not that “normal” equals flourishing. So, in worship we want to pay close attention to that which emerges in our hearts when we are interrupted and, in real time, emote towards God in those moments. Through song, prayer, and liturgy, worship is a useful space for this exchange.
In Christ-Centered worship, Brian Chappel maps the story of worship this way: “The overarching movement is a retelling of the story, remembering that God is holy (adoration), we are sinners (confession and lament), Jesus saves us from our sins (assurance, thanksgiving, petition, and instruction), and Jesus sends us on his mission (charge and blessing). It’s a movement that runs parallel to another way of thinking about the story of the gospel: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.”
Interruptions, and the frustrations that go with them, help us realize that we can’t keep our lives together, no matter how hard we try; yet, we are a part of a larger movement that we must ritualize into our lives. We, in a way, try to invite disruption into our weekly worship as a way of reforming ourselves to the “way of Jesus.”
It is likely that a dronie song of adoration in doubt, a heavy lament in grieving, a song of thanks in anger, or a hymn of mission in exhaustion will not land swimmingly on our ears on any given week. But, since our hearts are so often bent towards a disordered way, songs as interruptions can effectively catalyze a worshipful outlook. This practice helps the gospel integrate more fully in our lives and, in doing so, God’s sovereignty turns fearful interruptions into faithful wonder. Our hope is that we’d bring our truest selves: busy, hurried, and interrupted – to God and to one another in this season of worship.
– Micah