Worship

Have you ever considered—or even debated about —the “right” way to worship God? It is an essential aspect of any fellowship with God and others. As in so many other matters, we Christians don’t agree on it. There are many different forms of worship with a great deal of variety in how Christians worship. We typically develop patterns and preferences of worship based on our fellowship and our familiarity, our heritage and traditions.

Churches even accommodate preferences in worship by offering a “traditional” service as well as a “praise and worship” service, with the distinction being how worship is conducted. We worship alone, at home, or with others as God gathers His people to honor Him. The traditionalists have kept to piano and organ to accompany the familiar hymns, old and new, often with a formal choir. Children and youth seem to lead the change in enjoying contemporary worship styles, using a praise and worship team with guitars, drums, tambourines, and other accompaniment.

There has been a gradual change through the years about this, with more and more fellowships adding contemporary worship to engage and bless young people. And some of us seniors enjoy it too! But any pastor or church leader will tell you how challenging it can be to please an entire congregation of worshipers with differing tastes in music, let alone beliefs about what is proper worship in honoring the Lord.

There is also a distinction between praise songs, which are typically free-flowing and joyful, and worship songs that lead us into a more quiet, deep reverence of our God. The people of God want to worship Him, but what blesses and lifts us into God’s presence differs. Further, worship does not require a religious setting, but that is where most of us have learned about worship patterns and beliefs.

I grew up in a traditional denominational church, singing many well-known hymns there as well as playing and singing them at home with my family. The church choir made beautiful music and those who sang solos had voices that rose in melody and love to God. These hymns of praise and worship by the saints of former times are imprinted upon my heart. Growing up in a Christian family where church attendance was required, they were the best part of church attendance for me.

These wonderful hymns, some hundreds of years old, still ring in my spirit, bringing back memories of the hymns my parents most loved and sang. My father was a Christian from childhood on and his voice singing these and other hymns really blessed our growing up years. My mother sang and played the piano and later, my siblings played music as well. I still love hearing such well-known hymns such as What a Friend We Have in Jesus. This Is My Father’s World, and I Come to the Garden Alone, among many others. And will any of us ever tire of Amazing Grace?

Later, as an adult hungry for God, I was drawn to a nondenominational church that sang only choruses, over and over. In the first few months, I found this strange, repetitive, and uninspiring though I never shared that with anyone at the time! I did not see the point of singing the same words over and over. I did not feel God’s presence or the spirit in these wonderful choruses I later grew to love. I missed the old hymns and type of worship I was familiar with, so much that after a few months, I almost returned to my familiar denomination.

Thankfully, the Lord held me steady until my heart could soften enough to receive the holy spirit to enliven my experience of worship. Receiving the baptism of the holy spirit helped me discover deep meaning in the spiritual presence of God that these choruses of praise and worship brought. I gradually began to enter into the worship and praise at my new church, learning how to join in the spirit of them in honoring our Lord together.

But no one ever required me to worship in this way. Not one of them told me how to worship nor made me feel chastised or judged because I did not enter in as they did. They just let the holy spirit do its work. As a result, I spent much of the first six months with this fellowship crying through worship times. God was softening my heart, making a place for the teachings of the spirit this group had to offer.

Soon I felt such a presence of God in the worship that it moved me greatly. Then it was easy to be lost in beautiful choruses that had once seemed so repetitive to me. Soon this way of worship, a freedom to express whatever was in us to God, became most meaningful to me. Later, I was surprised and honored when the Lord made me the worship leader at this fellowship. It was not a calling I had expected or even desired to have, but He put it within me.

Through that, God taught me by the spirit what to sing when. He often placed a song in my heart to start our worship. Then the Lord would lift up the worship into the spirit where He was. I learned how to “catch the mind of the spirit” to flow where His spirit led in the song services we had together. God even released my ability to play the piano by ear, through the word of a prophet, so that I could accompany the songs we were singing to the Lord.

That fellowship and any guests patiently endured my times of plunking away until this gift was refined. No one said to me “Here’s how to lead song service, here are the steps to leading worship,” though others in that fellowship had done it and knew how. I had wonderful examples, but once again, they let the holy spirit be my teacher and guide.

I did not realize then the great gift this precious fellowship of saints, and their paster, Rev. Maxine Plowman, gave me in allowing the Lord to train me, rather than humans. I sat under one of the best preacher/teachers of that time, learning under the spiritual mentorship of Sister Plowman, my spiritual mother. I was also privileged to learn from the many seasoned ministers who visited us during gatherings of the saints.

Not only did they bring a powerful word, many were amazingly gifted with songs of praise and worship. They were all different, rarely having perfect voices or demonstrating mastery of instruments. But oh, how achingly beautiful was their worship and praise from their pure hearts of love for God. These were strongly formative years of my spiritual walk, and how I cherish the memories, though we are now all scattered and that work is gone.

God has many troubadours who are gifted with incredible talent to sing and play instruments for Him, whether all of them realize it or not! Many of us enjoy contemporary Christian songs of worship as well as secular musicians who show forth God’s calling in their lives. He is the creator of music and He has many expressions, much variety in what He uses to speak spiritually. While some music is immediately recognizable as having absolutely no God-given spirit, so much music of infinite variety speaks to each of our spirits in differing ways.

Like in other callings, what is in the musician’s heart, what the intent is in the music that is shared, comes through to bless and uplift us. Some are clearly anointed to do what they do, whether in spiritual settings or outside of such occasions. God’s own recognize His life in many forms of music. Think how incredible the music of the heavenly hosts must be! Never will there be melody, harmony, and expression of the pure life of God in music like that will be to our ears!

There are many different cultural traditions in the nations where Christians dwell throughout the world. Some of us appreciate a broad variety of forms of worship but that is not so for all other believers. The very thing that touches one Christian’s heart turns another completely off. Humans go through changes and styles, groups and solo worship, ideally with one key commonality: honoring our Lord through the spiritual expression of our love and faith in Him.

There is one experience I will share here that is relevant to this topic of worship. One Easter, I was visiting a small town, unfamiliar to me, staying with a family who were not churchgoers. I wanted to attend Easter services somewhere as it was meaningful to me. The church I chose had an incredible choir, accompanied by skilled musicians. They put on a beautiful musical program, singing songs honoring the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

By that time, I was used to always feeling the Lord when I gathered with other believers. For the first time in years, however, I sat in this church, hearing beautiful music, and did not sense the presence of the Lord at all. It actually frightened me because it was so unexpected. They had beautiful, stunning harmony, accompanied by talented musicians as good as any professional production, with warm and friendly people, but it did not touch my spirit at all.

When I asked God what was happening here, hoping to understand why, He said, “They don’t know me.” Never had it been so clear that the presence of God is brought by the people who come together to love and worship Him. This music was amazing entertainment but there were not enough people gathered in that place who brought the Lord and His spirit to make it worshipful.

God is spirit and when there is no spirit of His life in the worship flowing from hearts who love Him, it is dead. It does not touch the heart, though the emotions may be stirred. Though outwardly making beautiful melodies, sadly, it did not seem to reach the Lord. A joyful noise from less talented believers would have honestly been an improvement. More than one spiritual gathering is elevated by powerful praise and worship that, listened to later without the anointing, becomes literally “making a joyful noise to the Lord.” The anointing of God swallows up musical error and lack of talent to produce amazing harmony with the Lord.

God is not interested in being entertained or having His people put together an impressive program that lacks His presence. This is a form of godliness without power, as Paul spoke about to Timothy. Here is what God said in Isaiah:

“Therefore the Lord said: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.” Isaiah 29:13 Berean

“And saying is Yahweh, ‘Forasmuch as close to Me is this people with their mouth, and with their lips they glorify Me, yet their heart is far from Me, and their fear of Me is becoming as the instruction of mortals' teaching.’" Isaiah 29:13 Concordant Literal

Some believe that there should be no such thing as “Christian” artists who make a living singing and playing songs for their audience. Yet God has many troubadours and they are not all in church. Division and controversy increase when we insist that there is only one way to truly worship God—our way—and attempt to make others take on what is meaningful to us. Then it is not just differing traditions or tastes, but a judgment that our way is right and others are wrong. Inevitably, division and strife arise. And that is not a heart attitude that can praise and worship in the pure flow of God.

What does God say about the worship of Him? What is pleasing to our Lord? Is there only one way to worship God, one right style of words and music that honors Him? We know that it is the heart of believers that is our Lord’s focus, much more so than whether we are worshiping in the “right way” according to our traditions, musical gifts, level of comfort and familiarity. We can sing off-key, we can have not one ounce of musical talent, we can be clumsy and awkward in what we attempt to do with the musical part of our worship, but if the Holy Spirit is present within, it is holy, anointed to honor our Lord and express our love for Him. Here is what the Lord says:

“But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.

God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 Berean

Let’s take a look at the specific words in this passage. God is seeking true worshipers to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The translation of this passage is remarkably consistent among various versions of the Bible. True means just what it says: worshiping in truth, the foundation of God’s truth. The word “worship” is from the Greek word “proskunetes,” meaning an “adorer, one who kisses or prostrates oneself in homage, doing reverence.” Worship is an expression of adoration of our Lord and Savior, a heart condition that is critical for the outward expression of worshipful music and praise.

Hearing someone who is called to minister in music and song is an incredible blessing, uplifting us from our earthly existence into where He dwells. But even when we do not have any of these gifts, we can still make a beautiful noise onto our God. He looks at the sincerity of our hearts. It must be true worship, worshiping the true God, allowing the spirit of the Holy One to be preeminent. Worship flows from a heart of adoration, a reverence for Who He is and all that He has done for us.

How do you pour out your adoration to our God? Is it confined to one specific form of worship, one type of music? Or can you adore God, prostrating yourself in your heart to Him regardless of circumstances? God is saying that the worship He desires is in spirit and truth. As Paul said to the Ephesians in the above passage, we can sing and make melody to the Lord in our hearts all the time! There is no requirement that it must be done in a religious setting. Adoration of our God can flow out of us each moment as we consider His love for us, this beautiful creation He has made, and the precious people of the Lord as well as all humanity who need Him but do not yet know His love and mercy, truth and justice.Who—and what— do we adore?

There are many people we love, things we enjoy given for our pleasure, but who and what do we adore above all? The very first commandment underscores the position God wants in each of our hearts:

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3 KJV

Jesus chastised the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders of His days on earth, about this, repeating the words of Isaiah quoted above:

“You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’” Matthew 15:7-9 Berean

Worship of God in spirit and truth requires more than lip service, organized forms and patterns of a song service, or the singing of hymns or choruses. What is meaningful to one person holds no spiritual value to another, but the issue is not doctrine. Doctrine, according to the dictionary, means “a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief.” There are fundamental doctrines of our faith that are important building blocks for our walk in God, but He is much more interested in our relationship with Him than man made requirements that have become doctrines and beliefs.

David well knew this:

“For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, Oh God, you will not despise.” Psalms 51: 17 Berean

For the Israelites, sacrifice of animals as burnt offerings was the acceptable form to worship God and atone for sins. David had grievously sinned against the Lord. He knew all of the traditional ways of Jewish worship, how to bring sacrifices and burnt offerings. David realized that these would not please or delight the Lord after he had grievously sinned against the Lord. God was only interested in a heart change within David. That was what would restore David in His relationship with the Lord.

All through the Old Testament, we see that God often took issue with His people for worshiping other gods. Many times their leaders were removed from authority and their lands given to another because they’d fallen into worshiping idols, influenced by the unbelievers around them. Jesus came to do away with this need for repeated sacrifices for our sins and the old traditions and rules of the religious Jews. He fulfilled all of the commandments of Moses, stating:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 KJV

The new covenant that Jesus brought is a covenant of love. We are commanded to completely, with all of our being, love the Lord: heart, soul, and mind. For many of us, this is a lifelong process of in-working so that we truly adore God first and foremost. It fulfills all of what was laid out in the Old Testament about God’s people. It comes from a heart that is in love with our Lord, desiring His rule within our hearts above all. Then, we truly delight in the Lord!

The critical question is not “what is the best way to worship God?” Instead, it is “What or who do we adore?” Most of us have many things we enjoy but this question, when asked by God, delves deeper into what is most important to us. God is stripping us of all those things to which we have run through the years. The Israelites are not the only ones who succumb to idols. Examine what our societies promote and hold up as important and it’s easy to see that God is not often at the top of the list.

As Christians, we allow many things to take up residence in our hearts, pushing the Lord further and further behind in our love and devotion. And this can be many good things! Our children or family, our work called by God, great food and entertainment, and even our church and its traditions of worship and praise. Some of these things we have run to are ways to soothe and comfort ourselves in place of God. Only God knows what is in each heart.

We need not judge one another by the type of music nor the position of our bodies as we worship and praise Him. Some always lift their hands in praise, while others are acutely uncomfortable to do so, at least in public. Many congregants would not dream of making any noise, let alone a enthusiastically particpate in the worship service. Others are expected to do so whenever the spirit moves them. It’s these differing experiences that we can learn to leave with God.

God knows what things are a priority for us. We humans are created for worship but those who do not know God, or when we do not yet know Him deeply, heart to heart, allow enjoyment of many things to grow into adoration, taking priority over the Lord. We believers do not want to be counted as such. God even reveals to some of us that we adore the feeling of worshiping God more than God Himself. It is the best thing in the world to feel God’s presence, but He did not list this as a requirement of worship. Even when we do not feel Him with us or get that wonderful flood of blessing to our souls when we sing and worship Him, He is with us. He promised to be with us forever.

God is busy revealing where our hearts are far from Him, when we still unfaithfully run to things when we are upset or distressed before the Lord. Hobbies or habits are not filling the heart with God. He doesn’t condemn us, He changes us so that our hearts can become true worshipers of Him. Many of us have sung the song “He’s All I Need,” as we long for it to be so. It’s usually true when we are focused on Him. But we get distracted and busy, with so many choices and, yes, temptations, that draw our hearts away.

He loves us still and honors our worship according to the truth we know. Now is the time when He is purifying our desires to have full hearts of adoration towards Him. And even that we cannot do without being in a relationship with Him! We cannot by works make ourselves, let alone our hearts, be true and faithful. Only God by His spirit can do that. The good news is that He created us to be in a relationship with Him, our Companion forever.

God desires us to worship Him in spirit because He is spirit. We connect with Him spirit to spirit. When our spirit knows His spirit, we know when God is present in our worship and praise as well as in many other times in our lives. We sense if it is true worship by the spirit or just a form or tradition in which He is not there. God dwells in the praises of His people. That means He promises to be with us as we praise Him. When David’s soul was crying out in desperation to God, he says:

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalms 22:3 ASV

God is everywhere. He is not restricted to showing up in our lives just when we praise Him. But He sure loves it when we do! The word “dwells” comes from the Hebrew word “yashab”, meaning “to sit down, to remain, make a habitation.” When His people, called by His name, adore Him with an expression of praise and worship, He comes to stay, to sit with us, to tabernacle in us. We can count on it!

As Peter says, we are His special possession, chosen to declare His praises on the earth.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 Berean

“God, take us further into You. Create in us, Your people, worshipful adoration of You that flows from our hearts as the One we adore.” Amen.