Feasts, Flags and Faith

Read Galatians 3:23-4:31

“Now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles [of the law]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” (Galatians 4:9-11)

Thoughts…. Every so often a well-intentioned Christian will come up to me and suggest—demand would be more accurate, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt—that our church ought to incorporate a certain practice within our worship. These people are usually passionate about Jesus, committed to personal discipleship, and are convinced that if we don’t observe this particular expression—usually rooted in some obscure Old Testament passage—then we aren’t truly worshiping and will not experience the presence of the Lord among us.

Over the years, I have seen pastors pressured into allowing worship expressions like “Jericho marches” to “holy laughter” to “slaying in the Spirit” to “encountering personalized angels”, just to name a few. Years ago, I had a close ministry friend who became convinced that since our church didn’t participate in the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, we were under God’s judgment. At about that same time, a very sweet lady, a Bible teacher in our church, had come to believe that it was wrong of us not to include a Passover Sedar during Holy Week. At various other times I have had people tell me that we are missing it by not waving flags during our singing or blowing a ram’s horn as our call to worship. I could probably fill a chapter in a book with the variety of things that, according to these folks, we’re not doing right in our worship services. Sometimes I wonder what the next craze-phase will be: Ritual circumcision? Sacrificing goats? Reconstructing the Ark of the Covenant?

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think these ideas are completely weird—though the last three are really weird! I think that periodically it is helpful to incorporate some of these things into our worship as a way of teaching the roots of our faith and giving us a stronger foundation for our worship. What I have trouble with is when people insist on establishing these expressions as a necessary part of our worship theology.

The Apostle Paul was pointing out that to do so was to slip back into the tutelage of the law. It was to willingly give up our freedom in Christ and come again under the domination of that from which Christ’s death and resurrection has set us free. The only scriptural requirements I can recall for those of us who live under the new and better covenant are pretty broad—and strategically so.

Jesus himself addressed this issue with the woman at the Samaritan well. A discussion was being had about the proper place and style of worship when Jesus made this declaration about new covenant worship:

“The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
The Father is looking for those who will worship him that
way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him
must worship in spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:23-24)

If you want to observe a feast, go ahead. If you want to wave a flag, go ahead. Just don’t make it into a law. And don’t draw attention away from Christ and on to yourself when you do it. Remember, worship is about exalting Christ, not feeling good, although you will feel good when your exalt Christ. Whenever you worship, wherever you worship, in whatever way you worship, just remember the Father is wanting your heart. He is still seeking men and women who will worship him out of a sincerity of the heart that is rooted in the foundation of his new covenant truth.

Prayer… Father, keep me from backsliding into law. May grace and truth always season my worship. May you find in me a worshiper who gives you my heart and who stays cemented in your truth.

One More Thing… “Resistance to God’s changes is the origin of Christian doctrinal debates!…Not many call for circumcision today. Millions, however, do not consider the full implication of God ‘casting away,’ then ‘grafting in,’ going from a Kingdom to a Body, from law to grace, and the corresponding rule changes.” — Bob Enyart