Propriety of Praise
Why does a bride want to see her groom in a clean, fitted tuxedo at the altar? Why do we desire to hear the minister at a wedding use rich, precise speech? Why do we desire a wedding ceremony to be planned, dare I say, rehearsed? We desire these ceremonial adornments, because they are suitable for the occasion. They accurately communicate what the substance of the event is. These dressings are not what make a wedding a wedding. A town hall marriage is just a legitimate as an ornate wedding in a stained-glass church. The difference is a matter of propriety.
If we recognize the need for unique speech, unique dress, unique manners, and order at a wedding, why not for the worship of God? In a way even a “non-liturgical” church will put thought and care into the music, the sermon, etc. of a worship service. We are God’s creatures; we can’t help but adorn things. The question here is not whether we will adorn a worship service, the question is what is the proper way to adorn a worship service? Is a wedding a greater event? Is a wedding a more sacred moment than the divine service in God’s presence on Sundays?
Let’s consider the parallels. We are told in Ephesians that the Church is the Bride of Christ. Revelation echoes this by showing the Church as the Bride-city of the New Jerusalem adorned and descending to Earth. All earthly marriage is thus a shadow of the eternal marriage between God and His People. The shadow cannot be greater than its figure. Another way to put it, the marriage of Christ and the Church is the stamp, and earthly marriage is the imprint of that stamp. You can make many imprints, but there is only one stamp. Hopefully this short syllogism will make it apparent that the encounter of the Church with Christ on Sundays is more, not less, significant than an earthly wedding. Observe how heavenly worship is conducted in Revelation:
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
(Revelation 19:1-8)
This is far from pedestrian. This not a casual affair. This is not a time to use down-home speech, and to behave flippantly. When we are called in to God’s house under the authority of the ministers of God, we ought to demonstrate that gravity by adorning our worship appropriately. Some may argue that we are humble Mainers, and we are just doing what we can. We can’t just start building cathedrals! My proposal is much more modest. Start with our speech and our order of service (our liturgy, if you will). It costs us nothing, aside from pride, to change the way we speak in the Divine Service before God. It is less complex to sing historic hymns and psalms with a pianist accompanying than it is to sing praise and worship with a projector, a sound system, and a band. I’m suggesting we do less, better. Richness is greater than complexity. We must start by asking; what are we doing on Sunday, and what adornments and ceremonies best communicates this?
