Elvis has left the Building

Back in the day when Elvis was King of Rock and Roll, fans would lose all composure at the thought of personally meeting the King. After concerts, during news conferences, or following rare public appearances, eager fans madly flocked to where rumor last had him sited.

Frenzied crowds would clog building corridors; rumors of his whereabouts would incite riots as people scrambled in response to the latest rumor (living without cell phones). Public safety concerns required promoters to make public announcements to disperse unruly crowds. After Elvis concerts it was customary to hear a public address system confirm: “ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.” So prevalent and popular were the Elvis departure announcements that similar proclamations are still jokingly used to poke fun at those who carry an air of self-importance (e.g. Used in The Frazier Crane Show).

Groupthink and collective behavior phenomena can dictate how we worship at our many churches. Believers can become so preoccupied with the hottest worship style, spiritual manifestation, or established church liturgy that God’s presence is no longer essential or even relevant to them. It is the group (crowd) experience or sacred liturgy they yearn for and it stands paramount; the fact that God was once-upon-a-time present somehow validates their actions. They recall an event or scenario when He showed Himself powerful and they venerate those methods and traditions. Specific religious crowd behavior becomes the central point, not the truth “of and about” God. With recreated (and sometimes bizarre) episodes, frantic (or stoic) worshipers act out routines and liturgies based only upon a past God-siting.

As noted in scripture, God’s desire is for believers to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Methods and modes that intellectually or emotionally rally believers outside biblical truth or Spiritual unction may inspire people, but history has shown it is not beneficial to the work of the Kingdom of God.

For the sake of God’s Kingdom and the spiritual welfare of believers, it may be necessary to make the familiar Elvis announcement at some of our Sunday services. With a slight spiritual twist we could announce: “ladies and gentlemen, it is possible that God has left the building.” It might be prudent to inform people that their presumptuous religious activities may very well lack the presence and affirmation of the one they name in worship.