Why Church - Why Worship

Why Church - Why Worship

From Shelbyville Community Church by Shelbyville Community Church

April 19, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the nature of worship and the implications of what we choose to worship in our lives, referencing David Foster Wallace's insights.

David Foster Wallace was a Post-Modern author who was widely admired and respected. He was an academic, not even close to a follower of Jesus. He was giving the commencement address at a liberal arts college shortly before He died (he took His own life at the age of 46), and this is what he said: “… in the day-to day trenches of adult life, there is no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god to worship -- be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess -- is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.” If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have arrived. You will always lack. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally put you in the ground. Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear…

People in this episode

Host: Shelbyville Community Church

Topics covered

  • worship
  • meaning of life
  • David Foster Wallace
  • spirituality
  • default settings

Keywords

  • worship
  • David Foster Wallace
  • meaning
  • spirituality
  • life choices

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