But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:23-24
An American Newspaper quote on modern day worship:
“There are several reasons for opposing it. One, it’s too new. Two, it’s often worldly, even blasphemous. The new Christian music is not as pleasant as the more established style. Because there are so many songs, you can’t learn them all. It puts too much emphasis on instrumental music rather than Godly lyrics. This new music creates disturbances making people act indecently and disorderly. The preceding generation got along without it. It’s a money making scene and some of these new music upstarts are lewd and loose.”
It seems like people TODAY just love to debate how we should worship. And I hate it. However, the above quote isn’t new, it was written by a pastor in 1723 attacking Isaac Watts, the writer of great hymns like When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Joy to the World, and O God, Our Help in Ages Past. Our fight is nothing new.
And it shouldn’t surprise us, because when we fight about worship, Satan wins his most passionate battle. He was once, after all, the worship leader in heaven, and it was his highest honor to praise God. While he can never do it again, he knows what it means to the Father and what it could mean for us…
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.” Matthew 27:50-51
Did you see that? The FIRST thing which happened the EXACT moment Jesus called it finished:
ACCESS TO WORSHIP.
God couldn’t wait a minute longer. As Christ’s shed blood covered our sin, God simultaneously tore the veil – the curtain that had separated our access to the Holy of Holies. With that, He said – NOW COME: Sit with me, talk with me, be with me, WORSHIP me.
Still, the way we worship will undoubtably be as varied as the way we each live, dress, speak, vacation, eat, pray… It’s shocking, I know, but we don’t all choose to do things the same (!). Does a good hymn sink deepest into your spirit or is it when you rock out to a band with strobe lights that you most easily find your connection to Him?
Guess what? I have amazing news. The options are there – all of them!
So, while I won’t debate worship styles with you, there are some aspects surrounding our personal approach that deserve a revisit.
Don’t fake it:
Somedays, it’s hard to get into the moment. In many ways, we need this time more than God needs it from us, so we should certainly press-in, but never pretend. Although, at such a time, we need to work to change our attitude, we must also be authentic. A reminder: you’re singing to the God who knows your innermost secrets… He understands your heart, and you can be sure He’d rather you bring a “sacrifice” that means something to you. I’d bet He’d prefer us to sit down and ask Him for help rather than putting on a show for Him or anyone else.
Stop thinking about what’s appropriate:
To the person who wants to let go…
- Should I clap?
- Will I hit the person beside me if I raise my hand?
- If I raise just ONE hand it will be less weird?
- Can I sway a little/ a lot?
- Wow, I’m crying, but I won’t draw attention to this by reaching for a tissue.
- My friend/boy-friend/spouse/other random people I don’t know, might get uncomfortable. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable (aka, I don’t want them to think I’m crazy).
To the person who is afraid of the people who let go…
- I don’t want to raise my hands, but everyone in this stinking building has a hand up. I will never come back here.
- These people clap on the wrong beat.
- That worship leader needs to stop asking us to shout things out.
- I don’t want to hold anybody’s hand, and I will not pray out loud.
- We have been standing for ages. How many times can you sing the same song?
Points to consider:
- Don’t assume that if others worship differently from you, they are more/less right or engaged than you are.
- You didn’t show up for anyone in that room. You came for the Father. Be who He has called YOU to be in the praise that you bring to Him.
- Try not to be shocked if the way you worship evolves over time; we’re always growing.
Pay attention to the words you’re singing:
Because, friends, if you sing something like “Lord have your way in me”, you need to be prepared to allow Him do that, as it’s a wonderful thing, but it is not easy.
“I’ll go anywhere, I’ll do anything, at any cost for you my King.” Um, will you? Really? Worship that causes you to lie, well, that can’t be a smart way to approach the throne room.
“I’m falling on my knees, Offering all of me” or “We bow down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus”. Do you? Have you ever?
There are many things in worship that we sing in hopes/intention that our heart will change as we proclaim them, and that is A-OK. The important thing is to THINK about what you are saying. Try to connect with the words just like you do the music. And if you determine that you can’t sing the lyrics for one reason or another, it’s alright to still engage and spend some time saying things to the Lord that you DO feel in your heart.
Remember to whom you’re singing:
This is what’s most on my mind. We personally get a lot of benefit from worshiping. No doubt, that’s a huge reason why I love to do it so much. It can move us, lift our spirits, even provide motivation. Our perspective shifts as the warmth of God’s embrace settles into our circumstances. And that is good. It is special. Yet, in the midst of feeling elevated, we need to remember our place.
We sing a lot about how God is “enough for us”. But we’ve flipped the concept. The greatest thing is not that God is enough for you. It’s that, despite our inability to be enough for Him, He still fights for us. THAT’s why we worship. THAT’s why we praise. Not because who WE are matters, but because who HE IS is all that matters.
And the options available for precisely how we worship are varied. You get to choose!
But you do NOT get to choose for others, and we need to stop trying to do so.
When we talk about going to the “next level”. This is how I pray we get there: Conviction of heart, freedom of spirit, and depth of worship.
I’ll see you at His feet.
If you need a moment of worship right now, this is one of my personal favorite springboards: