I live for the applause. . .

There was a time when modesty, even if it was not of the heart but only feigned, was thought the more noble virtue of life over self-contentedness and pride.  I miss those days -- before we exposed ourselves in text messages, showed our stupidity on YouTube, told all our secrets on Facebook, measured our lives by those who friend us, tweeted every incidental thing we thought, said, or did, and strove to multiple the 15 minutes of fame into a lifetime of recognition.

Our culture of narcissism has not been without effect upon all our institutions, even the Church.  It has become the duty of the Church to offer us the spiritual side of us its spotlight, highlighting our want and self-defined need to be recognized, to receive approval, to have our felt needs affirmed and met, and to showcase who we are within worship.  Churches are judged more on friendliness than on doctrine and this friendliness is not merely welcome but almost a total obsession with the visitor's wants and needs.  I was sent a blog post about a person who went around visiting different churches and complained that in the congregations where he visited hardly anyone asked what was going on in his life or initiated a conversation on the deeper subjects of his wants, needs, struggles, or sorrows as an individual.  He received a warm welcome but he was not the object of their attention and so he failed the churches he visited.

If you are against the ordination of women, it is not considered a doctrinal issue at all but a refusal to allow the God-given talents and abilities to be used by women in the equally prominent domain of pastoral service.  If you are against gay marriage, it is not a doctrinal or moral issue but the promotion of injustice and the refusal to allow gays the same avenues open to straight people.  If you are against contemporary worship, it is not about doctrine but about taste -- highbrow culture over pop culture or the reverse.  In short we have made nearly every doctrinal issue into a personal issue, a personal affront if you disagree with me, and by thin skinned people, at that.  Because of this it is nearly impossible to have a theological conversation between those who disagree on these and other doctrinal and moral issues of our time.  It is hard to find feminists or gay who have orthodox and confessional theological views -- the slippery slope of our need to be noticed seems to encourage outrageous and shocking statements and behavior.

Lady Gaga (whom some call Lady Gagme) has done a pretty good job of translating this culture of narcissism into pop music.
    I live for the applause, applause, applause
    I live for the applause-plause
    Live for the applause-plause
    Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me.

    The applause, applause, applause
    Give me that thing that I love (I’ll turn the lights on)
    Put your hands up, make ‘em touch, touch (make it real loud)
    Give me that thing that I love (I’ll turn the lights on)
    Put your hands up, make ‘em touch, touch (make it real loud)...

Part of this is why I instinctively shudder when people applaud during worship.  Yes, I know that this is not always a sign of self-absorption but it is so attached to it that I find it hard to justify any applause within the Divine Service.  Part of this is why I find having choir, organ, praise band, and soloists up front, in the chancel.  It is as if we not only tolerate but even encourage the focus to be on the people.  Part of this is why I find the street clothed pastor in contemporary worship settings to be in conflict with our liturgical reality (in which vestments distract from the pastor as person instead of drawing attention to him and the liturgy functions to rein in the great temptation to emcee the worship service).  How easy it is for us to turn worship into a sanctified setting of America's Got Talent or The Voice!  And how destructive that is to the ministry of the means of grace to us!

I live for the applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause-plause
Live for the applause-plause
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me.
The applause, applause, applause
Give me that thing that I love (I’ll turn the lights on)
Put your hands up, make ‘em touch, touch (make it real loud)
Give me that thing that I love (I’ll turn the lights on)
Put your hands up, make ‘em touch, touch (make it real loud)