What is Biblical Worship?
When it comes to Christian worship services we've got all kinds. There are traditional services that date back, at least, centuries, praise services with upbeat music, coffee house services with rock bands, and country services with all country music just to name a few. When I talk to people who work on or attend the different styles the conversation seems to drift in the direction of music style and atmosphere in the place of worship. I've begun to wonder what real worship is supposed to be like since reading Sally Morgenthalers article on how worship evangelism doesn't work and wondering what worship would be like if we removed our desire to entertained.
One of the first things I've figured out is that it's not about telling God how great he is. If the bible is right we have an all knowing God. So, God knows how great he is and doesn't need to be told or reassured of this. Yet, we have a perfectly humble and loving God. How would this fit in the realm of humility? What would be loving about this?
Yet, there definitely is an element of praise. This stands out in the Psalms and in many of the other books. So, how do we balance that? How do we not try to tell God how great he is while still praising him?
I don't know if I have an answer to the question but I do know 2 things. First, the Psalms are a great place to start as an example. They are songs that keep the proper balance. Second, we should question what we have in our service and ask how it's biblical. This includes some of the catchy songs we might love to sing.
One of the songs I have begun to question is How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin as a worship service song. Don't get me wrong, I like the song. But, when I read the words and listen to it sung it doesn't seem to be targeted at God. It seems like it's a song to the other people in the church. It don't see it being a song of praise for a worship service where we spend time with God but a song about God. Shouldn't this difference be not only noted but taken into account when songs are chosen?
Maybe I'm off my rocker. But, many of the different styles of worship I've attended in the last 5 years have been more about fun and entertainment than worship. So, I'm questioning the very core of how we worship. I'd rather do it right than how I want. And, if we really have a loving and all smart God than true worship is something that's all around better for us than anything we can come up with.
Comments
#1 You are on target...
Well said.
I've gone thru the same thinking process as you. I personally fought against hymns for a long time because they were "old" but then as I began reading them and the Psalms you can see how the author is writing these songs to God.
Songs of Praise and reverence... many of our modern day songs are more about "us" than about God.
#2 Hymns
I used to think that hymns were old school. The name seems to be an old school word that's associated with old songs. But, a hymn simply is a song of praise or thanksgiving to God.
I've learned to appreciate the old hymns the more I learn about them. At first there just seemed to be something there that was lacking in modern day songs. After awhile I started to see what some of that really was.
These days I really like the old school hymns. I actually shot an email to our worship lead asking to add in particular to an upcoming service. There is some quality about them I am really growing to love.
#3 God vs. Us
One of the things I love about the Lutheran Hymnal is that many of the services are called, "The Divine Service". The whole idea there is that the service is about the One who is Divine, serving.
He serves us in the invocation by pulling us back to his service in our Baptism. He serves us in the absolution by forgiving our sin. He serves by giving us his read and proclaimed Word. He serves us His Body and Blood.
This establishes a pattern of God acting and us responding to his action. I think this idea is key to Biblical (aka Gospel-focused) worship ... it focuses on God's gracious action towards us and, after he acts, our response to his action.
#4 Always thinking...
I often question myself and how I go about doing things, and why I do things the way that I do. Sometimes I get sick of traditional worship because of the blank looks I see on everyone's faces. They've done things this way for years, and forget what it is they're doing. Give me a rockin' Hillsong service.
Then...oh my goodness. That guitar solo was far too long. These lyrics are so trite. Is this a fashion show? Give me a good matins service.
What am I doing? I'm simply looking at style and not heart. And, quite frankly, trying to look at anyone's heart other than my own is risky business. Heck, I don't even know what is going on in my own heart at times. Even though each style has its own eccentricities, let's throw style out. God can be worshiped in many styles. We have a creative God, he made us a creative people.
So now, back to topic. I think that when we proclaim God's greatness and any of His attributes, it is a recognition that he is sovereign, and we are not. Basically, it is our recognition of his holiness and our place in that relationship. God is God, we are not. While God has made us holy through His Son, we are still not God. Proclaiming God's attributes really is more for our benefit--we are burning a part of God's character into our mind for later recollection.
Music and spoken responses that are merely catechetical lack the heart that God has placed within us. I guess it truly is that balance of heart and head that God desires.
Does God need our worship? No. Does God demand our worship? Yes. Why? He knows that it is good for us.
Okay, so if I've spoken any heresies, I apologize, and will humbly accept correction. I also apologize for my long-windedness and lack of clarity. :-)
#5 Long Winded and Lack of Clarity
Long winded and lack of clarity... I know that feeling so well. It's something, I think, we all struggle with. Especially on things that are not cut and dry.
One of the things I've noticed from spending more time hanging out with the guys of the church is how much they don't know. One of the things that got me excited and into the traditional services is an understanding of what everything meant, how it tied together, and where it came from. It brought a bit of awe and humbleness to me.
Sure, a number of things are sheer tradition. But, even learning that tradition and why it was there gave it an extra something special.
I think most people just look at it as music style. They don't see anything different.
One of the things that caught my attention is the movement of younger people back to the traditional. I've read of a movement in Europe like this. And, herd of youth groups who are into this. And, what inspired them was learning what it all meant.
#6 Worship Style - or Lifestyle?
I've been pondering this since you posted it, and I've worked hard to keep my reply as short as possible.
I belong to (and run sound for) what some would call one of those rock and roll churches. My wife's 86 year old grandma attends there, too, but she doesn't like the worship portion of the service. "That ain't worship," she says, "that's just singin'." I took issue with that statement, but was recently reminded that the music isn't worship, it's an expression of worship. Worship is how we live our daily lives, not how we express it on Sunday mornings. Our leadership emphasizes this often.
I won't deny that contemporary worship is partially intended to attract, and I think sometimes it goes too far. The use of secular music in some churches makes me a bit uncomfortable.
When the Israelites moved the Ark of the Covenant, Judah went first. Judah literally means "praise." Praise goes first and makes the heart ready for the Lord's presence. At our church, the intent of worship is the same. If the congregation isn't ready for the Word of God afterwards, we've failed. I think any church that loses sight of that is in trouble, regardless of their style of worship.
One of the most impacting services I've ever attended was a liturgical service in a small Presbyterian church. We had the requisite three hymns and the readings. The only thing different that day was that Communion was after the message instead of before it, and the message was a really powerful one. People wept. People got saved. God moved in a powerful and mighty way.
How do you define praise? I'm not sure. I learned yesterday that there are at least seven different Hebrew words that all translate as praise in English.
I get what you're saying, though. Some songs are more declarative (to each other) than exaltation (to Him) and I think sometimes we spend too much time in the wrong worship mode. Sometimes we spend too much time singing to each other about God instead of singing to Him.
#7 Corporate vs. Personal Worship
You bring up an interesting about worship being a lifestyle thing. And, I don't argue you there. But, the bible is pretty clear that corporate worship is different that personal worship. Not that they aren't both important. But, there are difference we need to take into account and act on. Differences ordained by God for our good.
I'm actually starting to wonder about the attraction to contemporary worship. I've recently learned that all this attraction people have been trying to do in an effort to make services outreachie has pretty much failed. It's just attracting Christians from other churches who are looking for something more fun and entertaining. It's not reaching new people. I wonder if we are attracting for the right reasons and in the right ways.
If the outreach is because of the music we are holding that up as a vital and important thing. While I think it's great, when I read about some amazing impacting worships in the old testament there are many times where I read something about singing. Isn't it amazing how a conversation about worship seems to always head straight to the music style. It seems we are caught more up on our own personal style of music than in God.
I've been told that worship services are 90% God at work and 10% us at work. How often do we flip that in our minds? How often do we try to not let God do His 90% because we want to or we think we need to do it for God?
I think a telling sign about the heart of someone would happen in there was a worship service with no music and then to listen to what people had to say afterwards. Was it about how amazing God is or about how they didn't get to sing their songs?
#8 Heart of Worship
What you're saying sounds a lot like the story behind "The Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman. And yet I wonder how many people have sung that song week in and week out and have no idea the story behind it or what it means on both a personal and a congregational level.
Our worship pastor keeps reminding us, if God doesn't show up, we might as well go home. If He's not going to be in the service, then we've got better ways of spending our time.
In the last podcast, you talked about the congregation not knowing what to do while the organist is playing full intros to hymns. In our case, it's what to do with the congregation if there's a guitar solo in the bridge. But it's the same issue, really. I think that in both cases the good news is that someone is asking the question: "what do we do in this area to make sure it's more about God and less about the music?"
At our last church, announcements were moved to before the organ prelude, because the prelude was prepared as an expression of worship to the Lord, yet people treated it as a time to chat with friends before service instead of a time to quiet our hearts in reverence and preparation before the Lord. For some, it became an opportunity to go deeper in worship. For others, it meant they never heard the announcements because they knew they could slide in that much later without really missing much of the service.
Leadership has to take an active role in setting a proper atmosphere for worship, but there are always going to be those with itching ears who are always looking for something shiny and new. They may be attracted for a time to the worship style at one church, but I suspect that most of them will move on as soon as they find an excuse to be dissatisfied there, too.
#9 2 pennies
1 > theocentric/cristocentric worship does not use amatory ("big boyfriend in the sky" kinda stuff) phrasing
2> I love modern worship music, but the ol skool hymns RAWK too.