STOP THE NOISE

I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me…
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Amos 5:21, 23, 24 (read 5:18-24) - NIV

This text raises the question: What is the true worship of God?

Many people have the image of an exalted God, seated on a throne and reveling in expressions of worship and praise by his worshipers in religious meetings. Worship is expressed in singing praise, saying prayers and presenting offerings. This image turns God into a vain, egotistical tyrant who wants people to form “fan clubs” and meet together to bow down to him and go into deliriums in his presence.

The people lived the illusion that God had pleasure in cult meetings with great celebrations, offerings, praise songs and musical instruments. But the prophet Amos made a radical statement that God rejects such manifestations. Speaking on behalf of God, he used strong terms like "hate", "despise", "stench", "will not listen" and "away with the noise". Amos challenged the prevailing spirituality of his culture.

The Jewish nation was enjoying a period of peace and prosperity. But, also, there was a lot of injustice and dishonesty going on. There was a minority who exploited others and had more resources to be able to be sumptuous in religious manifestations. Dishonesty and corruption were part of day-by-day. The people secluded themselves in the temple with acts of worship and self-illusion. Outside, the world was very different.

Religious services in the midst of injustice and dishonesty were affronts to God. God is not a selfish egoist wanting praise and hype. His desire is to see His sons and daughters live love by exercising compassion, justice and integrity. True worship is not about religious acts within the temple, but in the practice of love everywhere.

The prophet uses the images of "roll like a river" and "never-failing stream”. These are figures of abundance and constancy. The mark of Christians should be their effort to act fairly in the middle of materialism and greed and to put "fairness" above "privileges”. Christian love also produces the fruit of honesty, good character and steadfast integrity. Worship that pleases God is that which is expressed in a life of righteousness (fairness). Fortunately there are people who please God but who cannot bear to sit through a worship service which ignores social reality and does not prepare them to live in the world with which they constantly deal.

Much of what we term as worship is very pagan. Pagan worship was intended to impress and influence the gods and gain their sympathy and their favors. The deities had to be conquered, or at least "bought". In contrast, the liturgy of Christian worship should have the purpose of empowering us to exercise the teachings of Jesus and follow His example as we live out our faith in all aspects of our day-by-day. The true test of our faith is not in our theology or religious practices but in how we relate in a redeeming way to the world in which we live out our daily lives.

AMOS 5:18-24 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

Woe to you who long

    for the day of the Lord!

Why do you long for the day of the Lord?

    That day will be darkness, not light.

It will be as though a man fled from a lion

    only to meet a bear,

as though he entered his house

    and rested his hand on the wall

    only to have a snake bite him.

Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light—

    pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;

    your assemblies are a stench to me.

Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,

    I will not accept them.

Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,

    I will have no regard for them.

Away with the noise of your songs!

    I will not listen to the music of your harps.

But let justice roll on like a river,

    righteousness like a never-failing stream!