Whom Does Worship Change?

[Reflections on Isaiah 1: 1,10-20]

Although Isaiah’s ministry was in Jerusalem, some 2700 years ago, he can still speak to our time. First, he condemns the worship practices of the people of his time:
... What to me (asks the Lord) is the multitude of your sacrifices? ... bringing offerings is futile ... my soul hates your appointed festivals, they have become a burden to me ... even though you make your prayers, I will not listen. ...

We could probably not imagine how those words, critical of their cherished worship traditions, would have shocked the regular temple-goers. But, this was not an impulsive rant. Isaiah was seriously concerned about the health of the nation, and of their relationship with God. This is a carefully considered warning, and a serious call to change. Worship can never be separated from the rest of life, from everyday social and business relationships within the community. And, in case there should be any doubt, Isaiah states clearly exactly what is missing:
… remove the evil of your doings ... seek justice, rescue the oppresed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow ...

No doubt, Isaiah would tell us that our worship is also simply an idle exercise, unless it (1) connects with our life the rest of the week; and unless it (2) brings about changed hearts, changed directions in our lives. For example, do we think of our worship as a duty we perform, to please God, to make God like us?; or as something we do to please others, and make them admire us? OR, is our worship something that changes us, re-forms our attitudes and opinions, and strengthens us in our striving for God’s purposes of justice and peace?

Worship, without a life of justice, is hypocrisy. Isaiah calls upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to listen to God’s teaching. What was their sin? NOT some sexual perversion (as is often assumed); the sin was a lack of hospitality. Ezekiel [16.49] spells it out clearly:
… The sin of Sodom is the pride that goes with food in plenty, comfort, and ease, yet ever helping the poor in their need. …
Isaiah's calls his society to:
...seek justice, rescue the oppressed, and defend the orphan, plead for the widow ...

We must translate his words into words for our society; we need to ask, “Who are the oppressed, the widow, the orphan, for us? who are the equivalent people today?” Widows without a pension would still be on the list; we would easily add many single mothers. One wonders how well gay or lesbian teenagers manage in a small town in Alberta! Economic refugees, and now, increasingly, environmental refugees, are in need of justice. And, I still hear the assumption that people with non-British or European names are somehow not ”Canadian”.

We each will have our own list of who are the oppressed, but essentially it means any who are powerless in our society, those at the bottom of the heap, who are the victims of the policies which benefit those at the top of the heap. Isaiah's society was experiencing a widening gap, between the rich-and-powerful, and the poor-and-vulnerable; much the same, I suspect, as the widening gap today, in our world, and country. We are experiencing the so-called "free” market economy transform our society and our world. We are beginning to learn how costly that is, costly for the most vulnerable, and costly for our environment. But somehow, the human costs, and the environmental costs, are never factored in to the calculations of this global economy; mother earth, and human labour, are simply "resources" [ie: to be "used"]. We even hear leading politicians tell us, “Yes, we must be concerned about the degradation of our environment; but not if there is any expense to the economy! Isaiah warned his people, Isaiah warns us:
... if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword...

No society, then or now, that flouts justice and compassion, which are the very nature of God, can hope to escape the consequences of its actions.

We are in danger of misunderstanding our worship. We often approach worship as if it were a way of "manipulating" God, trying to get God to do what we want God to do for us; to fulfill our purposes, our desires. (My favourite example is the prayer group, that intensely prays for sunshine for the church picnic - when the area is in the middle of a drought!) Worship is meant to change us, not God! Worship should help us to conform ourselves to God's purposes and desires, God's purposes of justice and compassion.