Sexuality is in fact a very appropriate subject to speak about when it comes to worship, for we are the bride of Christ and the joining together of heaven and earth, and of husband and wife, is what this world is all about. Worship is where Christ and His bride are unified and have intimate fellowship. It is nothing short of sacred and must be treated as such. The apostle Paul's exhortation and command that "the marriage bed must remain un-defiled" is akin to the command of God given to Moses saying, "You shall have no other gods before Me". So how do we keep the marriage bed un-defiled when it comes to worship? Worship is more than singing but it is not less. There are some people in the world who simply do not care for singing. I think those people are more rare than it would seem. I am convinced that many folks don't sing for other reasons than not "liking" it. But whether you sing or not, worship, if it is to be true worship, calls you to a level of commitment that will take you beyond your comfort zone. This is why, I believe, many people don't want to sing. Singing has the potential to involve your whole person, not just your mouth, your vocal chords or your head, but your whole person. Your body begins to sway with the rhythm, your voice begins to vibrate with the melody, heart emotions begin to connect with the spirit of the song, and your whole person begins to be altered. But you can certainly sing without being altered. I think western Christianity is particularly good at this. I am told that where churches have been planted in the third-world by Westerners, it becomes apparent to the observer which songs were taught to the native people by westerners and which ones are their own songs because the natives, who usually love to dance and shout and clap their hands, stand perfectly still while singing the Western melodies. Have we become so good at compartmentalizing our religion that we can completely divorce it from all emotion and expression? The evidence points in that direction. Many have imagined that the solution to reviving the churches is to play new, modern, music with new instruments and new hair styles. Worship in our "contemporary services" has all too often become a matter of selling people "what they want". But all we have produced is a performance oriented church cultural with superstar worship leaders and bands and a congregation that stands by more and more silent and observant, but not participant. And the one thing we supposedly have gathered for has not been done. We have not entered into worship. The result is that heaven is still invisible to the people of earth and the Gospel is not preached. Heaven and Earth were made to be joined together in Holy matrimony, and until we learn to worship together, the bride of Christ and the Christ Himself will remain hidden to a world that so desperately needs true intimacy. Jacob was a deceiver but he was also the unlikely choice of God for revealing His glory to the world. After attempting to cheat his brother out of his rightful inheritance, Jacob had to flee from his home to pursue his fortune elsewhere. But while he slept one night in the middle of his journey, the Lord appeared to him in a dream. In the dream, Jacob saw a portal between heaven and earth and the angels were ascending and descending between heaven and earth at the very spot where Jacob slept. Jacob was in the midst of heaven and earth and when he awoke he declared, "Surely God is in this place and I did not know it!" He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the gate of heaven." And he built an alter to the Lord right there. One of the reasons we fail to offer God proper worship is due to the fact that we don't know who He is. We have certain expectations for anyone who claims to belong to the name "God" and many of them are simply very inaccurate, incomplete, or flat contradictory to the reality. We think that we know how God should or would act in a given situation. We get these ideas from the images we have seen through pictures, sermons, impressions, and not least, authority figures and especially parents. And as a result, one of the last things that we expect from God is that God would choose to reveal Himself, not only too us, but in us. The day you learn to worship God is the day when you see angels ascending and descending where you sleep and you declare "Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!" Jacob was a deceiver, and yet, God choose to reveal heaven to him and in him. God knows your lack of qualification too, but nevertheless, God has chosen to reveal His glory in you too! So what do I mean? Do I mean to say that one day you will wake up and suddenly realize that you are actually one with God? Not at all...but significantly close. You are not one with God, but you are made to be one with God. That is what marriage is all about and that is what worship is about becoming. This is why worship must include the whole person if it is to be true worship. And it is why the marriage bed must remain un-defiled. We cannot come to the marriage bed bringing other partners with us. That is not how we win the bridegroom but how we invoke his jealousy! We cannot worship God and idols simultaneously, that is called idolatry and adultery. We cannot offer God worship and engage in sexual activity outside of the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman. That too is idolatry and adultery! We are called to be one people devoted to one God, because God is one and is devoted to one people. Worship is about the union of heaven and earth, Christ and His bridge, God and the Church. Let us not bring anyone or anything else into that sacred union and thus defile the place of worship. "Who can enter the hill of the Lord and who can stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his souls to falsehood or who has sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation." Psalm 24:2-5.
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