This worship thing is a constantly difficult concept for me to grasp, let alone put into practice. Firstly, how can I even start a discussion on worship if I do not really know what worship is? And even then, when I have some sort of definition, do I fully understand what the purpose of worship really is? Once I have found some the right definition and purpose for worship then I can begin to use that as a benchmark for my/our worship.
Unless we lie to ourselves (which we often do anyway), we are very likely to find that our worship does not match the Biblical definition or purpose. The dictionary definition of worship suggests that worship is an old English word. Worship is better read as “Worth - Ship”, and therefore the worship of God should be giving God the “worth” that he deserves.
One of our problems is that in the King James Version (KJV) the word “worship” is not often used, and most often not in the concept of our worship to God. The word appears a little more often in later versions – and sometimes in places that it is more difficult to reconcile with the original KJV. Rather it has become an umbrella word to cover the aspects of our relationship with God. Whether this is right or wrong is only what we make our relationship with God! Is praise not part of worship? Is not thanksgiving part of worship? Is not prayer part of worship? Is not faith part of worship? It is not “one” thing – it is a whole – as I said – an umbrella word – like many of the rather loose words in the bible – such as the word “Lord” or “love” or “faith”. So often our English words (especially as defined in the KJV) do not completely describe the intention of the writer. Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit to translate the meaning behind the words – especially since (as far as we know) there are no original writings in existence!
But let’s start at the beginning, what is He worth to me? At this point, I need to look at my value systems. I need to understand where my place is as a person in “the great order of things”. If I have no self-worth then it is unlikely that God will be worth anything to me. Consider - if I see myself as so lowly that I am or feel useless, not good for anything - am I worth saving? And, if God is who He says He is, then I should have a problem with that - He made me the way I am (excluding sin and all the baggage that I have allowed to go with what He created).
If the way of a Christian is a religion where I get to feel better about the world and myself - I might just as well go to a health farm and come away feeling a lot better than if I had sat for an hour in a cold unwelcoming church, singing songs that are out of touch, listening to the sermon which was as boring and unpalatable as cold porridge.
There is no point in looking at developing “worship” if there is nothing obtained that cannot be gained elsewhere. The Scriptures tell of a sacrifice that needs to be made, if worship is to become relevant and real. Do I need to go down this road at all?
One of the psalms of David starts like this:
Praise the Lord, I tell myself;
with my whole heart, I will praise His Holy Name.
Praise the Lord, I tell myself,
and never forget the good things He does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He ransoms me from death
and surrounds me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
(Psalm 103 v 1 - 5)
This praise of the Lord is a very conscious thing. It is not automatic, it isn’t optional, it isn’t something done on a whim. David says, “Praise the Lord, I tell myself” and then “with my whole heart, I will praise His Holy Name.” David needed to consciously put his whole being into worship of God. So to help himself, he lists the things that God does for him. Does my list approach that of David’s?
This psalm is also prophetic. God forgives our sins through the death of His Son, and by the brokenness of the body of Christ we are healed! Death can no longer be held against us since we will be lifted up to reign with the Son!
In Psalm 84 we read:
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord Almighty.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will shout joyfully to the living God.
(Psalm 84 v 1 - 2)
Before I start, I need to understand that I need a longing to be in God’s presence. Not a minor longing, but one so strong that it is as though I was starving and thirsty - desperate to be fed by Him, refreshed by His waters.
Let me return to the basics of our faith; look again at the “cross” and decide what it means to me.
If I ask thirty people for their answers, I will get thirty different viewpoints.
This might explain why we have no real concept of Gods worth to us. If someone gave their life for me would I not be desperate to show my appreciation? It would not be sufficient to put a note in the collection on a Sunday morning - I would want to do something very special for that person.
If Jesus gave His life for me, just so that I can fully live, does that really mean anything to me? Further, the Father who willingly gave His immortal Son into the hands of mortal men to die so that we would be reconciled to Him, is He not worthy of my praise?
If God is not worth that much to me how can I give Him back anything. Whenever I look at something like this, I get 100 more questions than answers. I know how I ought to feel and think and act, but the reality is some distance from the theory (or theology).
In Psalm 34, David has a further insight and evidence of what all of this is about.
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are discouraged take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt His Name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the Lord in my suffering, and He heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
(Psalm 34 v 1 - 6)
This is a worship that is not momentary, it is a life thing. It is also a two-way thing. David prayed, the Lord answered. And there was outcome.
When Jesus was talking about the coming of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit He gives a further insight about what is to come :
“.. when the Father sends the Counsellor as My representative - and by the Counsellor I mean the Holy Spirit - He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything… ” (John 14 v 26) This is not a passive relationship. God, through His Holy Spirit, will teach us.
So, is worship coming down to relationship? Does my relationship with God determine everything? If all I see is a righteous, holy, and judgemental God, we miss the loving and gracious God. If I have a gracious and loving God that might mean I can have a relationship with Him. A righteous, holy and judgemental God would take one look at my sin and decide to have nothing to do with me. Yet God embraces all these characteristics.
A Bishop recently looked at all his pastorate and told them that, if any one of them did not pray earnestly with God, they were fired. The Pastorate was also told to look to their own congregations - if any worker within their church was not praying earnestly with God - they should be fired. That did not mean excommunicate them, but they would not be allowed to be in leadership or authority. (It would be interesting to find out what was the outcome of this searching, and how many were left!)
Perhaps that is a picture that I need to hold. All the signs and wonders, within the early church, came as a result of and through prayer; it is a common theme throughout the Acts of the Apostles and beyond, in the Pauline letters.
What is also vitally important is that the prayer-life was a “life-style”; it was a relationship with God.
When Jesus demonstrated the way to pray to the disciples, the very start of the prayer was a relationship. “Our Father” is a relationship. A father is not a mystical figure, who does magic. A father is one who gives love, who guides, and who rebukes. A father does not turn away his own children when they do wrong. As a father he loves them; he may chastise them but he continues to love them and he is still their father and they are still his children. When we go to our own fathers, we do not go with a shopping list. We come in respect, we listen to him, and we talk to him and learn from him. When he asks what he can do for us, then we present our petitions to him. Is this not the way I need to approach my Heavenly Father? I need to come, in and through relationship, with love and respect, and enjoy being in His Presence.
Do I hear from God? When I pray am I in a two-way communication or in monaural sound (my own voice sounding rather hollow in a stone building)?
It is a mystery to me why we have to fill our church services with noise. When we are asked to pray, we often get 10 seconds before we fill in with some sort of talk that removes the possibility of having a relationship with the Father.
When we look at the Scriptures, we find that most often God speaks to us in a still small voice. Perhaps that was why Jesus had to go often into a lonely place. In the noise of the day there just wasn’t an opportunity to hear the voice of God.
These thoughts may seem to be disappearing off into a tangent - but I hope not. The whole basis and foundation for worship is relationship.
Out of and through worship come the very things that we so often desire of Him: - Healing, Signs and Wonders, Dreams and Visions, Prophecy, Knowledge, Faith.
Therefore if we take this linearly, I need to have a relationship with the Father that creates a true worship, which brings the tangible evidence of the God I serve. This then, also gives me a purpose for worship.
We have spoken of the worship progression being linear, but may it not also true that it is circular? The very things that God gives us are also the things that encourage us to worship Him.
So when I worship God, can I say that I hit the very heart of God? Is my worship ceiling limited or is it heaven bound?
Long distance relationships rarely work, are always dissatisfying and always second best. Is my worship accompanied by healing or by signs and wonders, dreams and visions, or prophecy and so forth? If not, then my worship may not be based on a real relationship. My prayer may stick at shopping lists rather than an expression of my love for God and His love for me. At this rate I won’t even make the guest list at the Wedding.
I know that, for myself, I am asking the question: “How do I know that I have a relationship with the Father?” This is something of a mystery. Then again, may be the answer is simpler than I think. Is my prayer life a one-way conversation or a two-way dialogue? Do I feel His presence? Is there any evidence of God’s ongoing modelling (as in the potter) in my life?
As I develop this investigation into my motives, feelings, and actions, I inevitably ask many more questions.
We can create our own list of questions to substantiate, or otherwise, the relationship between God and us. I come back to the question of the conversation repeatedly. If God only talks to me through the Scriptures then is that a relationship like a pen pal? The Scriptures do not describe God’s relationship to us distant. I read that He knows the number of hairs on my head! I also understand, from the parable of the lost sheep, when I go astray from His path, He comes to me and brings me back to the place of safety, the place of relationship with Him.
Then again, I read that the sheep know the Shepherd’s voice. Do I know the voice of the Shepherd? If not, do I know the Shepherd?
And, if not, to whom am I listening?