Worshipping God

I've been thinking about this post on and off all day - I read this article in the Houston Chronicle this morning. If you don't want to click through to the article (and you should, at least to see the photograph in question), here is the beginning of the piece:

"The elders at Ecclesia Church were expecting something tame from Jackson Potts II for their annual Stations of the Cross art display. Instead, the 10-year-old produced a photo of his kid brother being beaten by a police officer. Jackson says it's a modern-day interpretation of Roman soldiers beating Jesus."

I have a lot to say about this article, while is why this post kept cooking in my head all day. On the other hand, I know people at the church in the story - dear, sweet, loving people, who I wouldn't want to hurt by saying things that may be misinterpreted as deliberately cruel.

But I have to say something. And it is this:

When you think it's a good idea to constantly come up with new and different ways of worshipping the Uncreated God, this is where it lands you. When you pick and choose from one tradition, another tradition, invent some things of your own - you are making up church out of this world, and the Church is not created with the things of this world. It is the body of Christ, and was created by Him for the purpose of worshipping Him and Him alone. It is not a vehicle for self-expression, or self-invention; it is where the faithful from both sides of the veil of life gather together each week to praise and worship the only One truly deserving of it.

I know I'm not saying this as well as many others could, but I thought it was a point worth making all the same.