Worship+Justice
The chorus of the song “God of Justice” by Tim Hughes has always struck a certain chord with me: “We must go, live to feed the hungry, stand beside the broken, we must go. Stepping forth, keep us from just singing, move us into action, we must go.” I think the words of this song really convict me, because they bring into the light an important Biblical truth that too often remains in the shadows of our American Christian culture (and my heart, for that matter). God is concerned for the hungry, broken, and marginalized people of this world, and we, His chosen people, should be too.
Throughout Scripture we can see this truth come to the surface. In Deuteronomy 15 God’s people are commanded to be “openhanded” and “generous” in their giving and providing for the poor in their land. In the same breath they are told not to be “tightfisted” and “heardhearted.” In Luke 4 Jesus proclaims His earthly intentions in the midst of all those in the synagogue at Nazareth: to “preach good news to the poor,… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
As I consider the words of Scripture, I am suddenly stricken with the realization that God’s heart breaks for the broken. If our goal in worshiping God is to constantly align the concerns of our hearts with His, then “we must go, live to feed the hungry, stand beside the broken.” My hope for my own Christian generation is that we will not be content with meeting together in comfortable rooms to sing to and about the God of Justice, while living in blatant ignorance of what concerns Him. May the Lord not say of us, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29)
As I have been at Brook Hills for only a month and a half, I have already been encouraged by the sense of urgency to provide for the needy that exists in our congregation. I am so thankful to be part of a church where the Gospel, Worship, and Justice are at the forefront of everything we do. It’s also good to know that we aren’t the only ones. Here are some great movements for worship and justice that I’ve seen and been challenged by lately:
“God of Justice” by Tim Hughes
The I-Heart Revolution by Hillsong United
CompassionArt by Martin Smith of Delirious?