Yesterday we looked at the following verses from Amos in the context of current discussions about whether churches should be singing in the present circumstances in worship:

This is what the Lord God Almighty says: Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:16,23–24

Churches that are singing during in-person worship say that they are exercising freedom of religion. Other churches, such as ours, would say that to sing in worship right now is to fail to love our neighbor, because singing spreads the coronavirus further than most any other activity. In response, some churches argue that gathering in worship is an act of faith, and they are trusting in God to protect them. But they would do well to consider the following passage from the gospels:

Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘God will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Luke 4:9–12

The temptation for Jesus was to put himself in a life-threatening situation and expect God to protect him. This is exactly parallel to what churches are doing when they gather people during a pandemic and expect God to keep them all safe. “Do not put God to the test,” said Jesus.

If we sing songs of worship while disregarding the well-being of our neighbor, we are just creating noise, according to Amos. God seeks our authentic devotion, which, according to Jesus, includes worship (“love God”) and caring for one another (“love your neighbor”).

Prayer – Guide us, O Lord, to worship You today in forms that will safeguard one another. Share on X

If you missed Sunday worship, you can join with the recorded service of either the 9:30 or 10:30 worship hours at live.kentmethodist.org

About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.