As an elementary age child, I recall the black and white version of The Wizard of Oz movie annually making its way to our television, and televisions across America. It was a remarkable movie for its day – a real classic. Several scenes doubtless imprinted impressionable minds every time the movie appeared during those years. One scene in particular stands out for me. Dorothy, her dog Toto, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow entered into the presence of “the great and powerful Oz.” Initially, the great booming voice, the fearsome face and the shooting fire commanded awe and inspired fear in all those who came before Oz. Of course, that was before Toto revealed the little old man behind the curtain speaking into a microphone. The point herein that I want to emphasize is the solemnity, the awe and the respect, howbeit, misplaced in the Wizard of Oz.
Until I was 18-years-old, I was at least nominally a Roman Catholic. Although I do not subscribe to the doctrinal errors that evolved over the centuries and continue to evolve away from biblical truth in Catholicism, other Catholics and I learned to have a keen awe and respect for God that led to heightened solemnity in worship of Almighty God. Assembled in the “sanctuary,” sensing that we were in the very presence of God, we worshipped with enhanced solemnity. Granted, the Bible does not teach about a sanctuary or holy place on earth under Christianity, and Catholic worship, because it is human rather than divine in origin, is vain worship (Mark 7:7). However, what I want to emphasize is the solemnity, the awe and the respect, howbeit, misplaced in Catholicism. One of the single most attractive aspects of Catholicism to Catholics, former Catholics and would-be Catholics is the solemnity in worship of Almighty God.
Somehow, Christians need to have a sense of the very presence of God as they worship Him “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). We need to manifest our awe of and respect for Him through solemnity in worship. As Christians, we need to feel emotionally and intellectually the sentiment expressed in Psalm 33:8, which reads: “Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.” The word “fear” in this context means “to revere,” whereas the word “awe” here means “to shrink, fear (as in a strange place)” (Biblesoft’s). Especially sinful men, even forgiven saints (Christians), upon reflection must acknowledge that being in the very presence of God as we endeavor to worship Him is ‘a strange place’ to be. “Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?” (Psalm 76:7). “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).
Have we forgotten Who the object of our worship is? Has it escaped us that the Godhead is magnificent, all-powerful and so far superior to puny humans? How have we come to the point that in our assemblies we dare to be so easily distracted from focusing our complete attention on praising, magnifying and glorifying God? Is worship an inconsequential matter to you that interferes with your social networking and personal enjoyment? Do you show by your demeanor in the worship assembly realization that worshipping Almighty God is a serious matter and a privilege reserved today for faithful Christians? Christians, of all people, ought to be those who demonstrate solemnity in worship of God!
Works Cited
Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, 2006.
