Wisdom from a Tool & Die Worker
I learned an important lesson this week from conversing with a tool & die maker.
He told me that his tool & die work needs to be as precise as a brain surgeon's -- requiring accuracy within a thousanth of an inch. But even with all of that necessary precision, his work can be made very complex (applying various mathematical formulas) or kept very simple, depending on who trains the workers. It would vary from instructor to instructor.
He went on and applied his observation to theology. "Keep it simple," he said. "For those who are not in full-time ministry, if theology is made too complicated, sometimes we feel like giving up. So I always try to keep things simple."
To clarify, this wasn't an anti-intellectual speaking; he is a Bible teacher at Wayside Cross Ministries, an outreach to the troubled and needy in the Fox Valley area. His task involves training desperate men to be disciples. But even though teaching the Bible requires precision, we don't need to lose people in the process. "Just keep it simple, keep it simple."
His words are very valuable in a study worship. At some points, we don't think about worship enough; at other points, we over-complicate it. We vary from both extremes, but we need to arrive at a balance.
We should always strive to be precise with our worship (gauging through "spirit and truth"), yet worship need not be complex. The differentiation between precision and complexity is an imporant one.
We should never be sloppy with our worship. Jesus teaches that God the father is Spirit, and He is searching for those who worship Him in "spirit and truth." (John 4) We need to be right on with our heart and head. There is no excuse for error.
On the other hand, we do ourselves a disservice by over-complicating things, like fragmenting over music styles, debating the use of liturgy, fighting about which songs to sing, and other such arguments. Complications get us off track, and make some people want to give up.
So even as we study worship in depth, let's not forget: Worship is simple. It is about enjoying and glorifying God. That, before anything else, is what it all comes down to.
He told me that his tool & die work needs to be as precise as a brain surgeon's -- requiring accuracy within a thousanth of an inch. But even with all of that necessary precision, his work can be made very complex (applying various mathematical formulas) or kept very simple, depending on who trains the workers. It would vary from instructor to instructor.
He went on and applied his observation to theology. "Keep it simple," he said. "For those who are not in full-time ministry, if theology is made too complicated, sometimes we feel like giving up. So I always try to keep things simple."
To clarify, this wasn't an anti-intellectual speaking; he is a Bible teacher at Wayside Cross Ministries, an outreach to the troubled and needy in the Fox Valley area. His task involves training desperate men to be disciples. But even though teaching the Bible requires precision, we don't need to lose people in the process. "Just keep it simple, keep it simple."
His words are very valuable in a study worship. At some points, we don't think about worship enough; at other points, we over-complicate it. We vary from both extremes, but we need to arrive at a balance.
We should always strive to be precise with our worship (gauging through "spirit and truth"), yet worship need not be complex. The differentiation between precision and complexity is an imporant one.
We should never be sloppy with our worship. Jesus teaches that God the father is Spirit, and He is searching for those who worship Him in "spirit and truth." (John 4) We need to be right on with our heart and head. There is no excuse for error.
On the other hand, we do ourselves a disservice by over-complicating things, like fragmenting over music styles, debating the use of liturgy, fighting about which songs to sing, and other such arguments. Complications get us off track, and make some people want to give up.
So even as we study worship in depth, let's not forget: Worship is simple. It is about enjoying and glorifying God. That, before anything else, is what it all comes down to.
posted by jaybox | 1:23 PM
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