MUED648: Worship & Church Music

Term Paper: “God as the Audience”

Abner L. Perales
April 30, 2009

God as the Audience

Since Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) published his thoughts

about corporate worship,1 the world of worship theology have been influenced, especially in

recent days, by his statement that in corporate worship God is the audience. Kierkegaard’s

parable also suggests that people are the performers of worship, and that the worship leaders are

the prompters of worship.

Other comparisons have been set to explain what Kierkegaard could want to say in order to grasp

his concept,2 but basically the final application usually strives in the major participation by the

people and to have a God-centered worship.

Although Kierkegaard suggestion is usually relegated to corporate worship, and also interpreted

to consider God as passive, the Bible embraces Kierkegaard parable and gives a more holistic

interpretation.

1
Soren Kierkegaard, Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing: Spiritual Preparation for the Office of Confession.
(Douglas V. Steere tr. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1956): 180-81.
2
Take for example Liesh comparison of corporate worship to a football game in a stadium, where the worship
leaders are the coach (prompters), the people in the field are the players (performers of worship), and God is the
audience in the stands. In Barry Liesch, The New Worship: Straight Talk on Music and the Church (Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Books, 1996):123.
The Bible expands the idea of the theater parable in 1Corinthians 4:9: “…for we are made a

spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”

Paul suggestion in this verse is that the believer should consider his entire life, not just corporate

worship, as a spectacle in both horizontal (world and men) and vertical (angels) ways. This Paul

analogy drawn from the Greek theater by metonymy,3 show us the reality of God and angels

interest in the believer daily activities, which includes worship.

Biblical references of God as the Audience

The earliest reference in the Old Testament that shows God as an audience and our lives as a

spectacle can be found in the book of Job. Starting from chapters 1 and 2, the dialogs between

God and Satan regarding Job’s faithfulness makes clear that God was watching over Job and that

his life was a spectacle for the heaven court. Also Job makes clear at the end of his trails that

God knows every thought and nothing escapes from his sight (42:2). This final statement of Job

it’s actually an expression of worship to God. So we can se the connection between the

worshiper in front of a God who is watching like an audience.

A second reference can be found in the book of Deuteronomy (11:11-17) in the final

recommendations Moses gave to the children of Israel before they conquer the promise land. In

these short verses, Moses invites the Israelites to obey God’s commandments and to serve him.

This invitation have the implication that God is watching, like an audience in front of the actors

3
Timothy and Barbara Friberg. Analitical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament s.v. qe,atron
(the Israelites) willing to give them applause (in terms of rain, corn, wine, oil, etc.) or to jeer at

them if they disobey, like a dissatisfied audience in front of the bad actors. In these text, the

worship experience is translated to actions of obedience.

Maybe the clearest suggestion in the Old Testament of God as an audience, I think, is Solomon

prayer in the dedication of the temple.4 In this dedication prayer, Solomon gives a sight of God

watching over his people (God as an audience). He asked God to answer from heaven (active

role) if the people prayed in the temple for forgiveness, and justice, and also for victory, rain,

food, and for general requests.

Also, in the daily service in the temple, the Levites with their instruments stood on the east side

of the altar (2 Chronicles 5:12), and the priests, with trumpets, would faced them on the other

side of the altar; at the moment the sacrifices were made, both Levites and priests sounded their

music towards the offering, thus giving glory and honor exclusively to God.5 The implication on

these actions show us that they considered that God watch them as the audience and they where,

as the actor, to please him.

The centrality of Jerusalem temple in the Israelite worship is also expressed in Solomon’s prayer

passage when he states that God will hear from heaven when the stranger comes and prays

“toward this house.” But after the destruction of the temple and the latter shift of this centered

4
1 Kings 8:23-53.
5
Lillianne Doukhan. “Music in the Bible.” Shabbat Shalom 49, no. 2 (Autumn 2002): 23.
role to the centrifuge role of today’s Church,6 the idea of praying and God watching over a

certain specific place is expanded to nay place where “two or three” gather in his name.7 So God

as an audience is not confined to the temple but to where ever worship can be made.

Another reference as God as an audience can be inferred in Psalm 33:18: “Behold, the eye of the

LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.” The psalmist gives the

idea of God watching over the people who fear him (the believers). The idea of a constant

audience (God) is expressed here as a “single-eye,” probably to make emphasis. But also, verse

19 gives an active role to God as the audience: “To deliver their soul from death, and to keep

them alive in famine.” God is watching, yes, but he is an active audience giving “applause” to

the actor on stage (the world).

Psalm 34:7 provides another idea of a God living between his creation and watching over his

people as an active audience. The implication of the verse is that God is concerned of his people,

watch over them, judge them (that is why he knows they fear him) as if he is the audience in a

theater. And again, the applause of God is shown when he delivers them.

God as an audience also includes the “least” important of the actors on stage. In Matthew 18:10

Jesus expressed God concern and his active role as part of the audience.8 No one escapes from

6
c.f. Matthew 28:19 where the emphasis is “go” and not “come.”
7
Matthew 18:20
8
Like Paul, this verse expresses the idea of the angels as the spectators also.
God, everyone stands before him. And this idea that no one escape from the sight of the Lord

should make every one tremble and double check the idea of God as an audience.

Response to Kierkegaard parable

If we continue to follow Kierkegaard parable of God as an audience, and the world as a moral

theatre (adding Paul position in 1 Corinthians 4:9), we should considered on playing our part as

actors in a careful way. Every man should be incumbent on how he acts in the presence of his

fellow creatures (the other actors).9 The idea that God and the angels watch us as we were a

spectacle would make as tremble because we would realize that their pure nature without sin will

make ours more evident.

It is true that the majority of Christian congregations usually have the role of the audience

reversed and applied to them, living God as the prompter and sometimes as the performer. The

“worship experience” that the believer is constantly looking for is usually a pagan understanding

of worship.10

Getting into the temple once a week will not fulfill our performance as actors. The attitude of

"getting something out of" church will no longer be enough. The actors need to be part of the

9
Farrar, F.W. The Pulpit Commentary: I Corinthians (New York, NY: Funk & Wagnalls, 1913): 139.
10
Dion Forster, “Worship: Getting it Right, and Getting it Grong, the Difference Between a Verb and a Noun,”
Dion's Random Ramblings, entry posted February 10, 2008, http://www.spirituality.org.za/2008/02/worship-getting-
it-right-and-getting-it.html (accessed May 1, 2009).
action. There should not longer be content to be passive receptors but to actively offer worship to

the Lord.11

Performers (or actors) need to prepare and plan for worship and also need to rehearse with fellow

actors on stage.

Ronald Allen12 suggests that God-centered worship initiates an endless cycle: Worship-

edification- evangelism. This cycle only stops when one of the chains is interrupted or ignored.

Acts 2:41 and 42 establishes this three phase cycle as follows: Proclamation of the Word

(“gladly received his word”), fellowship, and worship (“doctrine… breaking of bread… and

prayers”). And White enunciates this in other words but with the same meaning:

“He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself will work with the constant
realization that he is a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. Making God's will
his will, he will reveal in his life the transforming power of the grace of Christ. In all the
circumstances of life, he will take Christ's example as his guide. 13
In the same context, White also suggests

“All who have received the engrafted word will be faithful in giving that word to others.
They will speak the words of Christ. In conversation and in deportment they will give
evidence of a daily conversion to the principles of truth. Such believers will be a
spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men, and God will be glorified in them.”14

11
Emily R. Brink, “Who's the Host? We May Be Getting Carried Away with Kierkegaard's Analogy,” Reformed
Worship 33, September 1994. http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/issue.cfm?id=33 (accessed May 1, 2009).
12
Ronald Allen, and Gordon Borror. Worship: rediscovering the Missing Jewel (Portland, OR: Multnomah Press,
1982), 57.
13
Ellen G. White. God's Amazing Grace (USA: Ellen G. White State, 1973):237.
14
Ellen G. White. In Heavenly Places (USA: Ellen G. White State, 1967):67.
This cycle, as suggested by Allen, should make worship (either corporate or individual) active

rather then passive. The implication of this concept is that worship will not be confined to a

specific date, moment, hour, or occasion: Worship should be accompanied by fellowship and

proclamation of the Word in a constant manner in the life of the believer, like a life-style. That is

why it’s true that if Christians understood that the eyes of the entire universe are focus on them, a

revival would come.15 This is really a hard work, but also honorable; hazardous, but glorious.16

Conclusion

Kierkegaard’s parable about God as an audience is a great point of departure for the reflection on

worship. The main issue is that, in considering God as an audience, we shouldn’t relegate God to

a passive role. Instead, every time we respond his call to worship, we should come before Him

ready for action Brink suggests this question: "With what shall I come before the LORD?"

(Micah 6:6).17

The idea of worship the Lord and consider ourselves as actors should bear with it a necessary

and imperative preparation. Also, the concepts of edification and evangelism should accompany

the practice of worship. This needed cycle should always be kept and maintain in order to

worship God as the audience.

15
Cottrell, Raymond. Comentario Bíblico Adventista (Buenos Aires, Argentina: Asociación Casa Editora
Sudamericana, 1984), 6:680.
16
Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, vol. 6 of Commentary on the Whole Bible (Logos, Inc., 2000), under “First
Corinthians IV,” http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.iCor.v.html (accessed May 1, 2009).
17
Emily R. Brink, “Who's the Host? We May Be Getting Carried Away with Kierkegaard's Analogy,” Reformed
Worship 33, September 1994. http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/issue.cfm?id=33 (accessed May 1, 2009).
 Bibliography

Allen, Ronald, and Gordon Borror. Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel. Portland, OR:
Multnomah Press, 1982.

Brink, Emily R. “Who's the Host? We May Be Getting Carried Away with Kierkegaard's
Analogy,” Reformed Worship 33, September 1994. http://www.reformedworship.org/
magazine/issue.cfm?id=33 (accessed May 1, 2009).

Cottrell, Raymond. Comentario Bíblico Adventista. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Asociación Casa
Editora Sudamericana, 1984.

Doukhan, Lillianne. “Music in the Bible.” Shabbat Shalom 49, no. 2 (Autumn 2002): 23.

Farrar, F.W. The Pulpit Commentary: I Corinthians. New York, NY: Funk & Wagnalls, 1913.

Henry, Matthew. Acts to Revelation, vol. 6 of Commentary on the Whole Bible. Logos, Inc.,
2000, under “First Corinthians IV,” http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.iCor.v.html
(accessed May 1, 2009).

Kierkegaard, Soren. Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing: Spiritual Preparation for the Office of
Confession. Douglas V. Steere tr. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1956.

Liesch, Barry. The New Worship: Straight Talk on Music and the Church. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books, 1996.

White, Ellen G. God's Amazing Grace. USA: Ellen G. White State, 1973.

White, Ellen G. In Heavenly Places. USA: Ellen G. White State, 1967.