When Theology Becomes Doxology

I love musicals. I recently savored “Les Miserables” via DVR. The music builds along with the plot. At one point, the lives of all the characters collide and the music seems to do the same. Part after part is added until there is this culmination of voices and music, crescendos and cymbals… if you’re like me… it’s the moment you anticipate and your inner core resonates and exults in the moment. It’s the portion of the musical where you join in, where your own heart has met with the story and the story becomes real. I love that!

Our church has been studying through the book of Romans together for about a year. After 11 chapters of Paul building doctrine on doctrine, truth on truth, we reached 11:33-36. Those four little verses burst off the page – the culminating musical moment, crescendos and cymbals – the point where truth breaks into praise, the point where theology becomes doxology. One verse away from the “therefore” that takes us from precept to praise to practicum.

And really, that’s the way discipleship probably ought to work. We discover what God wants us to know and believe and at some point we have a Luke 10:21 moment. The point where Jesus says [and this is a very loose paraphrase] “YES! She gets it!” My “aha” moments when the Spirit blows away the dark clouds of ignorance and my eyes see truth as something I really can lay hold of. But I think I’ve been skipping a step. Jesus rejoiced when the disciples “got it.” I tend to want to get truth and run straight to the doing. But Paul doesn’t do that. He expounds and then is overwhelmed by the person of God, the heights and depths of His wisdom and grace and mercy and power. He breathes in the wonder of it and exhales compulsory praise. Where is THAT moment in our discipleship? The moment right before we obey. The “aha” moments where Jesus says to us (like he did to Peter) over and over again: “Blessed are you… for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Ever had one of those times where you thought, “You MUST be the Christ, the Son of the Living God… because I’m way to thick skulled to have come to this on my own.” Well… maybe I’m alone in that. But when I do have those moments… I shouldn’t just rush to the practicum. I should take some time to wonder at Him, to be blown away by His willingness to condescend to speak to me, to explain to me, to have mercy on me; to behold God who alone knows and understands, creates and works through all things.

Yes, the practicum must come. But obedience isn’t obedience if it isn’t based upon truth. And truth is best obeyed when our heart is in an attitude of awe and dependence upon the One who revealed it to us in the first place. If I skip the doxology, the practicum might be more performance/works based than true theology lived out by the Spirit. When God reveals Himself and His salvation and His ways to our finite little hearts, it is a mercy to us. And sometimes He does that precept upon precept, her e a little, there a little. And each truth builds on another and then one day the AHA comes, the culminating musical moment of the crescendos of truth and cymbals of Spirit-power pound within us. Inner applause should erupt and melt into awe inspired obedience. I’m thinking to be a faithful disciple… I really shouldn’t skip the beat of praise.


Copyright 2011 Sharon Denise Dorminy