Direction corrections
What does it mean to glorify God in worship?
The Westminster Catechism opens with “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Is it?
In church a few weeks ago, we sang the Chris Tomlin song “Better is One Day,” with the refrain “better is one day in your house than thousands elsewhere.” I agree with the desire to come before God in worship, but I question this evaluation. Is our primary purpose to come before God in worship or to go out from worship in service?
“Glorify” can mean “praise,” but in Scripture it means far more. It means God’s presence. It is for us to glorify God by bringing his presence into the world.
Does sola Deo gloria (glory to God alone) mean that God’s glory is our only goal? No. It means that our abilities, efforts and accomplishments are all by God’s grace. This is to counter our delusions of saving ourselves by our actions or serving others so that they will praise us.
Earthward
Our connection to God is important and necessary or we get misdirected toward ourselves. Still our mission is not toward God, it is toward the world. God’s first mission statements for us are in Genesis. These are sometimes called the Creational Mandate, but they are not commands. The first one is a blessing, an empowering gift, to fill the earth and subdue it (Gen. 1:28). The second one is God’s purpose statement for humankind to till and keep the Garden (Gen. 2:15). This is to develop and protect the world as God’s priests. Our direction is earthward.
This is Jesus’ mission declaration: “You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world . . . Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:13-17). Reflecting God’s presence into the world reflects back to God.
Radical priority?
On the Sunday I started to question Tomlin’s song, the message for the day was from Mark 7:1-23. Here Jesus is in controversy with the Jewish religious leaders over questions of defilement. The Jewish leaders emphasized symbolic practices focused on coming before God cleanly. Jesus replied with speaking to how they treat those around them. There is still a problem of religious leaders focusing on their rules of holiness before God as more important than helping people. Is religion first about being in God’s house or bringing God’s presence to the world? Sometimes it seems to me that those who emphasize sola Deo gloria make God selfish. It is all about God. In Scripture God makes it about us. God is about giving, not getting. This is the radical nature of the Christian view of God. The One Way is to be about others, not ourselves, and not just about God.
I have had conversations with people who wonder why God appears so self-centred as to want or need glory all the time. I think you have shown another (better) way of understanding “glorify God.” Thank you.