"Is He Even Listening?"

I had a great opportunity the other day in being able to further my friendship with a "brother in arms" who has an extensive worship ministry that has literally impacted thousands of people around the world. As he shared from his heart, I was both enlightened and encouraged in my faith. During our conversation, he had relayed a conversation which he had with a worship leader who was struggling with the current condition of the apathetic church. While this leader was at a worship conference and the constituents were discussing various topics on worship ministry, this leader said something profound which brought a holy "hush" over the crowd. In recognizing all that worship leaders do to ensure that the worship service has the meaning and impact that we desire it to, the leader simply responded "...but is He (God) even listening?"

Is He even listening? I think of the passage in Amos 5:23-24, "Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never ending stream." As Amos spoke these words, he was doing so to a people who neglected to worship the Lord through extending "justice" and doing "righteousness." In fact, this was one of Israel's besetting sins. They had failed to feed the hungry, help the poor, and extend mercy to their fellow man. In one sense, the worship practices of Israel had become nothing more than self-absorbed expressions of ritual.

I wonder how that compares to the world in which we live today? Has the church become so self-absorbed that we are no different than Israel was in Amos' day? Don't get me wrong, I love to worship the Lord. As a song writer and worship leader, I am especially drawn to the songs that promote a deeper intimacy with the Lord.But have we become so consumed with drawing close to God that we have failed to draw close to man? Mark Labberton, author of The Dangerous Act of Worship describes worship as being "the dangerous act of waking up to God and to the purposes of God in the world, and then living lives that actually show it." This begs the question, "Is my worship true worship if it does not change my life in such a way that I am showing my connection with the Father by actually fulfilling His mission for this world?" The message of the Gospel goes beyond mere words followed by a prayer. It is the life of Christ in action through our lives.

Jesus proclaimed that "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed..."(Luke 4:18). Worship for the Jesus went beyond simply experiencing God; rather, he allowed people to experience God through His life. That is the essence of justice. To be God's hands and feet reaching and going to those who in are need. Is He even listening? Without a doubt He hears the cries of those in captivity and those who are afflicted in spirit but what about when I cry out to want to experience Him more? Perhaps it is that he hears but will only listen when I decide to allow Him to be experienced through me to a world in desperate need of His saving grace.