More than Music
Did you know it is possible to sing worship songs on a Sunday morning without worshiping?This sounds unlikely but happens most Sundays in Churches all over the UK and even in YCC. You might wonder how is it possible to sing worship songs without worshipping, to answer this we need to explore the question, “What is worship?”
This is a big question and many worship leaders and scholars are continually finding new facets of worship. However I will try briefly to outline a few major points.
Worship is first and foremost a response from the heart. Matt Redman says in one of his songs "Worship starts with seeing You"(You referring to God). When we see how God has blessed us, our response is to worship. I have often heard worship referred to as worth-ship, giving worth to God. Worship starts with the realisation of Who God is, what he has done and why he did it.
Worship is an offering. In the Old Testament the people of God gave burnt offerings to the Lord, where they offered their best animals as an offering showing how much they loved, respected and feared God. Abraham however was told to offer something more costly: His only son, Isaac (Genesis 22). Worship must come with a cost. "I'm not going to offer God, my God, sacrifices that are no sacrifice." (2 Samuel 24v24 Message). Remember the widows mite, (Mark 12v41, Luke 21). It's not how much we give, but how much it costs that counts.
We need to come with fear and trembling. We must approach the Lord with respect. 2 Samuel 6 is the story of David bringing the Ark of God back to Jerusalem (The Ark represented the Presence of the Lord). The Ark had been in the House of Abinadab. He had two sons Uzzah and Ahio. Both of them had become accustomed to being around the Ark, as it had been in their house a long time. King David came with 30,000 special troops and a specially constructed cart to take the Ark back to Jerusalem. Uzzah and Ahio went with them to guide the cart. On the way the Oxon stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, and he was killed instantly by the Lord. He was killed because he did not come with a holy fear before the Lord. He had been complacent and had lost his holy fear for the Ark. How often do we get used to approaching God without a Holy fear?
Worship comes from obedience and integrity. Do our words mean anything unless they are backed up by our actions? Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'My son, go, work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I don't want to!' Yet later he changed his mind and went. Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. " 'I will, sir,' he answered. But he didn't go. "Which of the two did his father's will?" "The first," they said. (Matt 21v28-31) If we sing or say things to God we don't mean, that's hypocrisy not worship. Worship is far more than words. The actions and decisions we make in the week must not contradict our Sunday worship. If they do it is worthless.
Worship comes through trust, holding nothing back. Have you ever wondered why the Psalms are full of laments? The psalmists are coming to God as they are, not pretending everything is great. Simply as they are. Jesus knows the inner most parts of your heart. There is no point in trying to hide anything from Him. So how does this relate to singing? Is there a place for singing in worship? I think there is. In the Bible people often come to the Lord with singing and gladness. Singing can be very powerful. It can be a heartfelt cry from your soul to God. Sometimes you are so full of joy you have to sing. Singing is often one of the most passionate responses we as humans can offer. But only if it is from the right heart. To sing without conscious thought or emotion is just singing. You might be declaring praise and truth, but not worshipping.
This why we are trying out new ways of engaging people in worship in YCC. Through symbolism, meditation, liturgy, poems, graphics, scripture, dance, art etc. Please give positive feedback to any of the worship leaders. If you have a passion to help others to worship we would love to see you at the Thursday night Exploring Worship sessions.
What is holding you back in Worship? How can we (The Worship Team) help?
Jason Helyar
posted by Jase @ 11:23 am
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