More Than Authenticity

God desires more than authenticity. God desires worship that is right.

I recently read through Leviticus, and while it isn’t the most exciting reading in Scripture (and certainly isn’t as quotable as Paul’s writing), I was continually humbled by the details God provided for Israel’s worship. The sacrifices were taken very seriously. If the priest offered them in any way other than the prescribed way, the offering would not be acceptable to God. In some cases, the priests themselves were immediately judged by God for their casual approach to the sacrifices (here’s looking at you, Nadab and Abihu).

In a world of phonies, it’s easy to affirm the important of authenticity. The problem isn’t that authenticity is bad, but that we are often authentically wrong.

We must resist the urge to say that worship styles that are different from our own preferences is wrong, but we must equally resist the spirit of the day which affirms every worship style which is authentic.