I recently listened to a radio interview moderated by Mark
Goodman[1],
with Pat Benatar, and her husband, co-writer, and band guitarist Neil “Spyder”
Geraldo[2].
In the midst of the interview Mark asked them about being “iconic” in the 80’s,
and how they felt about their music lasting now that “everything is forever”
(thanks to the internet and YouTube)—in Mark’s words, “nothing will ever go
away again, it will always be out there.”
This thought spawned a lengthy conversation in the interview
process that caught my attention. Both
Pat and “Spyder” argued that Mark’s comment was incorrect. The gist of their argument was this, moments
are ephemeral. The instant that moment
is gone it is gone forever—even if it is captured on film, or tape, or
digitally these can only ever be mere reproductions of that first moment “live”
(they argued that is why they love to play live—to live in THAT moment)—there can
NEVER BE THAT moment again. I actually
searched for a rebroadcast of the interview so that I could hear this
particular part of it again.
Philosophically, it is all very Platonic. Everything we experience is but a mere
reproduction of the original is not new—it is Plato’s “forms” or “ideals”
all over again. Plato would suggest that
what we experience are but mere “universals” (representations) of things that
perfectly (and particularly) exist (the forms and ideals) on another plane of
being. So we think we know what a square
is but we have only ever come into contact with the universal representation of a square—in
reality “squareness” exists perfectly, and particularly on another plane. There is MUCH more to Plato’s arguments but
they are not my point, so let us not digress!
I began to think about these things in terms of my own
life. Every Sunday I do the only two
things that people will actually pay me to do and tolerate my “work”: I lead worship, and I preach and teach. Both of these things have caused me great joy
and great consternation over my years of ministry, both have changed radically
since I began doing them some 25 years ago, and both are continuing to undergo
transformation as we delve deeper into the postmodern world and what comes
after it.
WORSHIP
In the area of worship we have moved from someone standing
behind the pulpit holding a hymnbook in one hand and waving his arms to the
beat with the other hand, to teams working hard to provide a “complete worship
experience” (replete with audio, video, word, deed, lighting, effects,
etc..). I was never much into “hymnody”
(though I LOVE a LOT of the hymns and feel like they have better theology than
most of the newer worship stuff), and I dislike organ music (though I appreciate
those who can REALLY pull it off), and I detest choral arrangements and choirs
( I can appreciate their talent—but even good choirs have the same effect on me
that rap music, and “southern gospel” does—a switch in my brain clicks to “off”
the second it begins and I am somewhere else).
My point is simply this, regardless of preferences, we may be on to
something much deeper and spiritual than most of us realize…but I digress
again, for the moment (hold on…I promise to come back to it).
PREACHING
In the area of preaching we have moved from 3 points that
alliterate, toss in a poem and a couple of illustrations, then at the end you
restate what you said, then tell them again for emphasis, and then in your
closing prayer mention the 3 points that were an alliteration just in case they
missed the first three times, to a completely different notion of what good
preaching is, how long it last, and what should happen when it occurs. The narrative style of preaching, which
dominates homiletics today, has tended to lend itself to “right brained”
listeners who, psychologist say, are less about logic, rationale, and
alliterations, and more about emotion, wholeness, and imagination—hence the
need for visual stimuli to accompany the story that you are telling (and it
probably wouldn’t hurt to have the right lighting, and at times, the right
music softly accompanying you in the background). Len Sweet once called this type of learning “edutainment”
because it educates and entertains at the same time. Good preachers these days seem to say less,
but what they DO say…they say it better (that is a part of their popularity—they are brief, to
the point, but they do it so well and without wasting precious time—none of
which I tend to excel at—at this point in my “career” I’m an old dog and while
I can learn new tricks…I am pretty much set in my “style” of preaching…and I
tend to be somewhere in the middle of the old and the new). Again, I say, that regardless of preference, we
may be on to something.
You may be saying to yourself, “this seems a LONG way away
from Pat Benatar and ‘capturing the moment’” (it’s okay…people who regularly
hear me preach and teach think the same thing!). But, that is the point, we are
not removed at all…much less are we far away...
Swiss theologian Karl Barth once used a German term, taught
to me by very first theology professor MANY years ago, “anknopfungspunkt.” Barth used this lengthy theological term to
mean “the point of contact” between God and humanity. If we put all these puzzle pieces together
here is my point: as humans we desire the “anknopfungspunkt” (like an addict
craves their addiction) it is that ephemeral moment that cannot be replicated, duplicated,
nor captured. We, every Sunday, want
that one experience of the Holy Spirit that is timeless…that we come near to
God in song and word, where His word actually is “living and active”—we want to
experience God…not vicariously…like watching a video or looking at a picture
that causes us to fondly recall a past experience…we want a NEW experience
EVERY TIME!! As Neil Young proposed, “it
keeps me searching for a heart of gold.”
This desire spurs on our weekly, daily, search for this connection…unfortunately
(I think) we, like addicts, have become more obsessed with the search, and the
moment itself, than the object of that experience. So when we don’t get that “anknopfungspunkt”
we quickly move on to the next place that offers it, because clearly, God is
not at work HERE!
Oddly enough, worship leaders and preachers are not immune
to this issue. We tend to be bi-polar,
either wanting to do everything “just right” to enable God to work and give
that experience (to the point that we practice, rehearse, and study until there
is no room left for spontaneity in our “performance”), and then, when it is
over, we feel like we have failed when it appears that God has not moved in the
way we expected. OR we pray a lot and try to let everything happen in and for
the ephemeral moment knowing that it will never be duplicated…it will never be
the “PERFECT” moment again…but only mere reproductions. And then, when finished, we are disappointed that
we didn’t create another perfect moment…but rather relived old, used, and clichéd
moments.
STOP CHASING THE MOMENTS AND LIVE IN CONSTANT EXPECTATION OF
WHAT GOD COULD DO IF WE SPENT OUR TIME AND ENERGY ON HIM, DOING WHAT HE ASKS,
INSTEAD OF GRASPING FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN EVERY
SUNDAY. Author, speaker, and preacher
Eugene Peterson calls it, “a long obedience in the same direction.” In sharing with Nicodemus about being “born
again” Jesus says this, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its
sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is
with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).
You can chase the Spirit who gives you those moments…but you cannot
catch him…we must wait, and yield to that Spirit knowing God is supplying what
we need, not what we want.
I believe…help me in my unbelief.
[1]
For those who may be too young or too old—Mark Goodman was, I believe, the
FIRST “VJ” (video jockey”) who appeared on MTV’s early broadcasts.
[2]
Pat Benatar (and Spyder) had the second video that ever aired on MTV. Together, they had multiple platinum albums,
Grammy Awards, People’s Choice Awards, sold out thousands of concerts, and were
considered “trend setters” in the 80’s music, fashion, and video scene. Today they are 80’s
“icons.”
great job all Christians should read this.
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