Pop Superstars and Idol Worship

The Word of the Lord is very plain - we are not to place anything, or anyone, in a position higher than our God.   In Psalm 81, we read God's declaration to His people:
8"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me!9There shall be no foreign god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god.10I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

There are so many activities that are available for us to engage in - entertainment culture, sports, hobbies - and we have to be wise in the choices that make regarding these areas.   Many forms of entertainment or recreation are quite acceptable, but if anything consumes our time to a degree that it replaces the priority of spending quality time with our Savior, then we must make sure that we restrict our activities so that we do not end up making it an idol in our lives, an unhealthy "worship" of a god that is not our one true God.

The first of the 10 commandments is that you shall have no other god before the one true God.  In Isaiah 45, we read:
18For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the Lord, and there is no other.19I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.20"Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save.

You somewhat have to hold your collective breath when another of those music awards shows comes around - whether it's the Grammys or the MTV Music Awards, or MTV's Video Music Awards, chances are you're going to find something that is designed to shock or to push an agenda that differs from the Christian worldview.

You could certainly find some of that material in last night's Billboard Music Awards.   While the Michael Jackson hologram was certainly intriguing, there were performances that could be termed offensive or just plain bizarre.  

And, these are really big names - the big winner at the Billboard Music Awards was Justin Timberlake, with 7 trophies on the night including Top Artist and Top Male Artist. Other winners included Imagine Dragons with five, and Pharrell, Robin Thicke and T.I. each scoring four apiece.

I do want to note that there are several Christian categories - Chris Tomlin, not surprisingly, won Artist of the Year. In a bit of a surprise, Alan Jackson won top album for "Precious Memories: Volume II".  I would have liked for nominee Third Day to have won for "Miracle," since I'll be featuring it today.  The top song? Matthew West's "Hello, My Name Is".

The real key, I think, to the BBMA's is that it is a pretty clear indication about where our culture is musically, because the results are determined by objective factors, such as what music we buy and listen to on the radio, with the exception of the Milestone Award - the fan award.   And, it's sometimes not a pretty picture. This is the music that is shaping our culture, and these are the artists who are influencing our ideas.  Popular entertainment can become so much of a fabric of a person's life that it consumes one's times and thoughts - it essentially becomes an idol.

Taken to extremes, you get a church devoted to an artist, such as the "National Church of Bey," that has made pop superstar Beyonce Knowles as some sort of deity.  According to the Christian Today website,
the National Church of Bey gathers in Atlanta to sing the former Destiny's Child member's hits every Sunday. The article states:

Known to have some of the most dedicated fans in the world, whom she refers to as 'Beys', Beyoncé has achieved not only global fame but a cult following. Most would agree, however, that considering the pop star a deity is taking fandom to a whole new level.

On the group's somewhat tongue-in-cheek website, founder 'Minister Diva' Pauline John Andrews criticises those who have condemned the church's views and calls for a willingness to be open to their unusual beliefs.

"We are very disappointed in the failure of the public to recognise the existence of a divine Deity walking among them. Deity's often walk the Earth in their flesh form. Beyoncé will transcend back to the spirit once her work here on Mother Earth has been completed," she writes.

The website also says: "As our congregation begins to swell, we ask that you consider what is more real; an invisible spirit on high, or a walking, talking breathing Goddess who shows you her true form daily...While we do not believe Beyoncé to be the Creator, we recognise that she still sits among the throne of Gods."

The group is apparently in the process of producing 'Beybles' which will be distributed to the public. The church adds, "After hearing the divine word written out in the Beyble, we assure you that you too can walk in the truth and reach a deep level of understanding. It may sound odd at first, but you just need a formal introduction to the word."

Since the website is described as "tongue-in-cheek," one might question the legitimacy of this so-called "church."  But it can serve as an object lesson, or a warning to all of us:  Be careful what you devote your attention to, for you may find yourself worshipping it.  Whatever we place on a pedestal in a higher priority than our love of Jesus, that becomes an idol to us and an object of our worship.  If our time is spent with connecting with and consuming entertainment culture, at the expense of our time with God, then we have to question our level of devotion to the Lord.   There are forms of entertainment that I believe we can experience and enjoy, but we have to be careful that our choices do not adversely shape our thinking and sap our time.

Entertainment consumption time may not be a problem for you, but we have to examine our own lives and evaluate if we are being good stewards of the time and emotional energy that God has given to us.  There may be activities in which we participate that have been prioritized to a level higher than our commitment to spending time with God - that or those activities have become an "idol" to us.  Or there may be inactivity that is a problem; we waste time doing nothing or nothing productive, when God is calling us to get up and get out in service to His kingdom.