By John StonestreetPublished Date: November 23, 2009
“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, nor is their breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
Psalm 135:15-18
The death of Michael Jackson dominated the news for days, even while far more significant events were occurring. Why are we so fascinated with celebrity?
Ours is a culture that worships celebrities, ignoring their foolishness, while elevating their trivial accomplishments to the level of epic events. In times past, heroes were those who made history. Today, heroes make CDs, touchdowns, and millions at the box office. They are the objects of our worship.
Our culture’s fascination with, and worship of, celebrity is further seen in the lengths that folks will go to be one – lining up for hours in city after city, delusional about their own lack of talent, just for a shot to be the next American celebrity. A culture that worships celebrity becomes a place where popular is mistaken for excellent, where looking good is preferred over being good, and where style is more important than substance.
The Psalmist tells us that we become what we worship. Human beings are made in the image of God; it is the worship of God that not only reveals who He is but also who we are. If we fail to worship God, not only will we not know Him, we won’t know who we are either.
Worship is never confined to our personal preferences and whims. It will out, and it will shape our interactions, relationships, dealings, and pursuits. Thus, it will also shape our culture.
What are we worshipping? What are our churches teaching their people about the Object and the means of worship? As author Paul Stiles said, “The gods we worship write their names on our faces… for what we are worshipping, we are becoming.”
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, nor is their breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
Psalm 135:15-18
The death of Michael Jackson dominated the news for days, even while far more significant events were occurring. Why are we so fascinated with celebrity?
Ours is a culture that worships celebrities, ignoring their foolishness, while elevating their trivial accomplishments to the level of epic events. In times past, heroes were those who made history. Today, heroes make CDs, touchdowns, and millions at the box office. They are the objects of our worship.
Our culture’s fascination with, and worship of, celebrity is further seen in the lengths that folks will go to be one – lining up for hours in city after city, delusional about their own lack of talent, just for a shot to be the next American celebrity. A culture that worships celebrity becomes a place where popular is mistaken for excellent, where looking good is preferred over being good, and where style is more important than substance.
The Psalmist tells us that we become what we worship. Human beings are made in the image of God; it is the worship of God that not only reveals who He is but also who we are. If we fail to worship God, not only will we not know Him, we won’t know who we are either.
Worship is never confined to our personal preferences and whims. It will out, and it will shape our interactions, relationships, dealings, and pursuits. Thus, it will also shape our culture.
What are we worshipping? What are our churches teaching their people about the Object and the means of worship? As author Paul Stiles said, “The gods we worship write their names on our faces… for what we are worshipping, we are becoming.”
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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P.S. This is the same subject that was discussed on a recent NPR radio program that I heard; It is amazing that it's almost verbatim.
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