“This is a safe place,” We say it glibly, introducing Christian community and even worship these days. I know what we mean and I get the point, nevertheless I wrestle with this turn of phrase.
Why?
Because God is not safe.
Of course, God is good, faithful and true and can be wholeheartedly trusted. Nevertheless, God is untamed, free and sovereign. So, encountering the creator of all things and the source of all power and perfection perhaps ought to generate a modicum of apprehension and a smidgeon of trepidation in our human hearts. Surely sacred awe and reverence ought to mark our approach to a Holy God?
Can you imagine what might happen if we truly understood the reality of what we were getting into as we draw near to God? Calls to worship would be exchanged for risk assessments, encouraging us to adopt the brace position should we experience his grandeur and glory.
Psalm 24 is an entrance psalm preparing people for worship. Consider it pre-flight safety instructions for those who would ascend the hill of the lord.
Its primary question is:
“what makes you think you can come into the company of the Lord Almighty?”
Or…
“who may ascend the hill of the lord”
I perceive we have lost something of this reverence and fear. Perhaps our very familiarity with the practises of Christian worship blind us to the extraordinary and audacious journey we are taking. We domesticate and regulate the Wild God into a handbook of prepacked doctrines and shallow sentiments. Our casualness and informality can leave us indifferent and unmoved by the magnitude of what our lips claim.
We sing
Praise to the Lord
To the lamb
To the King of Heaven
Praise for He rose
Now He reigns
We will sing forever
Then, by the time we have found our cars our awe has evaporated and our (my!) attention has turned to picking up milk on the way home.
Psalm 24 reminds us of the importance of what we are doing when we worship. The back story to the Psalm is the tragedy of Uzzah, recorded for us in 2 Samuel 6. David is leading the procession to bring the Ark of the covenant, God’s dwelling place, back to the heart of the nation and to Jerusalem. Tragically Uzzah reaches out to steady the tottering cart on which the ark is being carried, and is struck down dead.
How then to draw near?
“Clean hands and a pure heart”
This is the impossible answer, for we know our actions and our thoughts fall short.
“Who can stand in his Holy Place?”
Not me.
Yet, and here is the great news!
We come not in our own name, but under the banner of Jesus. In him every soiled hand and unrighteous thought and indeed the whole slop bucket of sin, personal, social and systemic has been judged. We draw near consecrated in and by him boldly, gratefully and joyfully celebrating.
What an astonishing privilege – lets draw near.
Iain