A Modern Parable
In order to communicate the plans to implement differentiated worship, Jamie Overholser, Pastor of Worship at Parker Hill Community Church, wrote a parable to help explain how different people groups prefer and enjoy different worship styles. Following is that parable, reproduced by permission. I’ll leave the application of this parable about worship in the church to your imagination and the comment section at the end of this post.
Thanks, Jamie!
Once upon a time there was a bride
Once upon a time in the fictional town of If-God-Loves-Meville there was a bride-to-be and the mother of the bride-to-be. Both were anxiously awaiting the blessed event of holy matrimony that would bring together two people chosen for each other before the beginning of time.
The bride-to-be had dreamed her whole life of a wedding ceremony in the great outdoors. She would dream of her veil blowing in the warm breeze of a July afternoon. She imagined an immaculate garden setting for her reception.
So, the one thing the bride-to-be and the mother of the bride-to-be prayed fervently for every day leading up to the wedding was a bright and sunny, warm day, with of course, no rain.
Once upon the same time in the same fictional town of If-God-Loves-Meville there was a farmer and his wife. He was a strong but sensitive worker of the earth, a man who took great pride in planting, nurturing, and harvesting fruits and vegetables for the health of the human race.
He was wise enough to realize he was at the mercy of the elements. And this particular year, specifically during the month of July, he begged for mercy in excruciating tones. He shouted passionately at the heavens, that they would open and drench his parched fields, saturating his withered crop.
So, the one thing the farmer and his wife prayed fervently for every day during the summer months was a refreshing, constant, drenching rain.
The day of wedding was finally here. The bride-to-be and the mother of the bride-to-be both awoke to blue skies that stretched into infinity. The calm breezes of a young girl’s imagination were blowing outside as the sun climbed high in the sky, acting as a gentle spotlight for the day’s festivities.
The jubilation of the bride-to-be and the mother of the bride-to-be could be heard for miles, “There is a God and today his face is shining on us. Our prayers have been answered. This proves God loves us.”
The farmer and his wife also awoke on that same day and saw the scorching sun ascending to its cosmic throne. The day was no different than the scores of days before it—threateningly dry, and menacingly hot.
The agonizing cries of the farmer and his wife could be heard for miles, “If there is a God, he hates me. Our prayers have fallen on deaf ears and a cruel heart.”
Half way through the grand garden reception, as the bride and groom danced with playful passion, a foreboding line of clouds was inching toward the tiny town of If-God-Loves-Meville. A distant thunder could be heard and the gentle breeze now became less moderate. The sun was soon restrained by dark, ominous clouds that threatened to gobble up everything in their path.
The bride and the mother of the bride were now in despair, knowing that their fairy tale wedding day was now defenseless against the forces of nature that seemed to turn and bite them in the cruelest manner.
By mid-afternoon, as the farmer and his wife were making their way from the barn to the house, heads hanging in despair, they suddenly felt the sun become less intense. The motionless, parched corn stalks began to dance, almost in anticipation of an honored guest. The warm wind now changed into refreshing gusts that indicated those clouds carried precious treasure.
The farmer and his wife were now in jubilation, knowing that their burnt landscape would soon be soaked with liquid gold.
AND THE RAIN CAME.
The bride and the mother of the bride became incensed, telling themselves that they deserved better than this, wondering what they did wrong for God to so quickly change the rules of the game. They now wondered if there was a God, and if he did exist, if he really loved them.
The farmer and his wife were crying life-giving tears, reflecting the life-giving water that was abundantly falling from the skies. They jumped raucously in the mud puddles and celebrated long into the night. “There is a God,” they screamed, “and he does love us.”
If once, just once the bride could step into the boots of the farmer. If just once, she could look through a farmer’s lens and know that this rain storm, although it dampened her day, was giving the farmer a second chance, an opportunity to flourish, that the sun she so desperately prayed for was actually sucking the life from his crops.
And if once, just once the farmer could step into the glass slippers of the fairy tale bride and realize that the sun and blue sky provided the perfect background for the biggest day of her life, and that the rain, although it gave life to him, was not looked upon the same way during the outdoor celebration.
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November 24th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Great story! Very well written also. Matt, I am going to stir the pot up a bit here by asking a question. Maybe this will stir up some discussion.
This story speaks of receiving something from God, but isn’t worship about giving to God?
November 24th, 2006 at 6:51 pm
Is it wrong that we are creatures moved by a particular sytle of music? Wasn’t music designed to elicit a strirring in the soul? Are not dirges melancholy to elicit a somber tone. Do we not beat drums before raging into battle?
If we receive from God rain then we should praise him for the rain. if we receive drought we should praise him for the drought. I do not worship God by putting myself in someone else’s shoes, but rather by putting myself in shoes that I am not worthy to put on, those of my savior - Jesus.
In Him I understand that my life is of no consequence. It is He who must increase while I decrease. If it rains or shines what is that to me? Is it not the same God who control both. My needs and desires are not where I place my treasure. Let it rain on my wedding day. I will praise God for the rain.
November 25th, 2006 at 8:19 pm
Thanks for the comments. Welcome, Topogigo! First of all, I’ve asked Jamie, the writer of the parable, to weigh in on your comments and questions. In a few days, he’ll provide some insight as to what he was thinking and his intention of the parable.
Secondly, I’ll attempt to address your questions and provide my take on it. I don’t think the point of the parable was about receiving (vs. giving). I think it is an illustration about how different people have different perspectives and experiences. The farmer welcomed the rain whereas the bride detested it.
Different people have different experiences and perspectives on worship and music. Some may be comfortable worshiping with a certain style of music whereas others detest it. I think God designed us to respond to Him in worship through unique ways that are meaningful to us. Just like the farmer and the bride looked at the rain through different eyes, I look at a hymn through different eyes than my dad and you might look at certain styles of music differently than me. Each of our perspectives and experiences are legitimate and enable us, in our own way, to give glory to God.
November 26th, 2006 at 6:45 am
To Duane – I believe worship is, in some aspect, communication with God, and communication is always two-way. Yes, I give in worship. After worshipping God with my whole heart, I feel spent. But I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been in God’s presence and definitely been on the receiving end. I feel spent and full at the same time.
Please note that this parable is not a one-time treatise on worship. It simply addresses a small slice of what is happening in the hearts of some worshipers. The story has more to do with different people having different experiences and perspectives, and less to do with what a person is giving or receiving during a worship experience.
Thanks for your question! Someone else can join in!
To topogigo – Oh, that all of our churches were filled with individuals like you. Unfortunately, they are not. That’s why I wrote this parable—to get people to start thinking and acting like you! I’ve been leading and administrating worship in churches for just over 18 years. And while your perspective represents the ideal, I can assure you, the worship environment in a lot of churches is less than ideal. Many people are selfish, and as part of their journey toward genuine worship, they need to realize that they are not the only person in the room during corporate worship.
I’m unsure of how your opening questions fit with the rest of your response, but they are, nonetheless, interesting and thought provoking questions. Music, at its core, is a language of the heart. It will stir your soul…one way or another! That’s why some churches are still fighting the worship wars. Hopefully, we will let different styles of music stir our souls to the point of giving us just another glimpse of who God is. Jazz, a Brahms symphony, Bluegrass, a Mozart Requiem, Christian Pop, a Rock Ballad, a Gregorian Chant, film soundtracks, and yes, even Rap, etc.—each musical expression is a manifestation of God’s creativity and diversity. I am equally awed by seeing an eagle in flight in Alaska, and riding an elephant in Thailand. The two experiences couldn’t be more different, but they are equally inspiring. At the moment I am listening to Mozart’s Requiem, and I’m lost in its magnificence. Yesterday, I listened to Everyday Sunday’s song “The One,” and I was brought to tears as I considered the radical love of Jesus for me.
November 26th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Thanks guys. Please don’t misunderstand my earlier comment. I do not disagree with the story or the comments thus far.
Do let me share where I am coming from, however. My journey in this area of worship, in the corporate sense, has been shaped by a rather unpleasant experience. I was part of a battle over worship styles at one point in my life. It was a traditionalist vs. contemporary battle (I was on the side of the contemporaries) and the result was pain and hurt on all sides.
Through this experience God taught me two important lessons.
First, when worship becomes about form, the form, by default, becomes the object of the worship.
Second, worship is by definition an act of giving. It is ascribing ultimate worth to the One declared worthy. When I come to God in worship I do not come expecting anything in return but rather seeking to give all that I am. I may recieve from worship but that is a result of God’s grace alone.
My goal is to present my body and all that I am “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
I want my entire life to be an all encompassing act of worship. I don’t want it to be about me in any way, as I am unworthy, but I want to be about Him. God bless.
November 29th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Well said, Duane, well said.