Christian worship is an interesting thing isn’t it? That we would get together every week to sing our songs, pray our prayers, give our gifts, and open up an old book to read words that were written long ago and considered irrelevant by many. Yet, we keep getting together and we keep opening the book.
And then on some days we open the book and we read about evil. We have pictures that come to mind when we think of evil. I can’t help but think of one from Dr. Seuss. Evil is big and green. He’s a mean one, as cuddly as a cactus, has all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile. He comes to take stuff just to make others unhappy.
Yet when Seuss’s people lose their stuff, they are not unhappy. Instead – they sing. “Fahoo fores, dahoo dores.” We may not understand the words, but we understand what is going on. Makes me think I should read Seuss differently.
Revelation addresses evil. But perhaps even more it addresses worship. In the midst of all the evil we find in chapter 6-7, we find ourselves in a context of worship. Worshippers are active before, during and after. It is saturated with song and the constant opening and reopening of the book. These chapters are surrounded by prayers. Here we are in worship.
We may not naturally see evil as a context for worship. But Revelation does. Here we find worship taking place. This starts back in chapter four and does not stop when evil arrives in chapter six. In chapter four, we found four living creatures singing “Holy, Holy, Holy…” And then twenty-four elders fall down and sing “worthy…”
In chapter five, the creatures and elders join together to sing a new song. And then are joined by thousands and thousands of angels. And they all sing “worthy…” They are then joined by all of creation. The living creatures say “amen.” The elders fall down and worship. Chapter six sees repetitive opening and reopening of the book. The four living creatures participate in an apocalyptic responsive reading.
In chapter seven, a great multitude is called forth “which no one could count.” And they sing with all the angels, the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures. They sing “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever, Amen.” And this all takes place in the presence of the One sitting on the throne and the Lamb.
Revelation presents a growing choir. In fact, Revelation keeps responding to adversity, tribulation and evil by adding to the choir. With the four horsemen of the apocalypse enter conquest, war, famine and pestilence. The following chapter brings tribulation. And the growing choir sings. Four living creatures, twenty-four elders, the voice of many angels, and all of creation. Chapter seven adds a great multitude, which no one could count. And they sing!
Revelation talks about the prayers of the saints. Both before our passage (5.8) and following (8.3) the prayers of the saints are related to “incense.” Before the evil of our passage is introduced and afterward – prayer. I can’t help but think of how unusual this response to evil is. The saints sing. The saints pray. Offer incense. You may have prayed for someone this morning. Someone may have prayed for you. Revelation says prayers are like incense. Mark Buchanan calls praying people perfume makers.
This is an interesting picture of prayer. This “incense.” But we are not looking for prayer that sends sweet fragrance to the supernatural. We want prayer to eliminate evil. Instead, Revelation places us in the midst of evil and portrays prayer as “incense.”
In Your God is Too Safe, Mark Buchanan tells a story that he learned from William Willimon. The story is about a gentleman who was sent as a delegate from the World Council of Churches to check the status of the church in Russia during an atheist regime.
The man was not impressed. “The church” he said, “is just a bunch of little old ladies praying.” Buchanan calls them “just a bunch of perfume makers.” Willimon told the story in the nineties. After atheistic Russia was no more. This is an important story. Not because we wanted to win the cold war. Not because we are opposed to atheists. But because we need to be reminded of what happens when a bunch of little old ladies pray. “Fahoo fores, dahoo dores.”
We need Revelation. We need reminded that though evil is present, it has no real power. Evil – beware. Beware of the prayers of saints. Beware of revolutionary perfume makers disguised as old ladies. Beware of elders falling down, living creatures who sing, and the multitude that joins in singing “salvation belongs to our God.”
Evil beware. Ride out on your power horses spreading death and famine. This is not fighting on your terms. This is not methodology that you might use. This is not the expected response to evil. This is the response from another reality. One that recognizes who is in charge. One that knows who wins. The response from Revelation insists that worship is the only way to see reality. In the face of evil, we continue to open the book, to give, to pray, and we sing.
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