Thoughts on Worship

Music moves our souls like few experiences can.  The first few bars of Benny and the Jets by Paul McCartney and Wings can whisk me back to times in my high school gym.  Sandi Patti's song, Another Time and Another Place takes me rapidly to Highway 1 along the California coast on a car ride with my wife.  Chris Rice's Untitled Hymn beckons me back to my Grandmother's funeral while many worship songs remind me of sweet times of tears, just me and Jesus. 

When people talk about the power of music in worship, there is much truth.  That is probably why so many people use the style and quality of worship as a high criteria for the church they will choose to worship corporately...but I wonder if this is good thing.  Allow me to share four brief points regarding worship.

Worship is a way of life.

Worship is often coupled with music and for good reason, however, worship is so much more than music.  Worship can take place in a sunset or sunrise, worship can happen in a conversation or while drinking in the beauty of a painting.  Worship often takes place in our minds, all alone, as we think of all the God has done for us.  Worship can take place in the midst of sadness or in the middle of a time of stretching our faith.  Worship can happen in isolation, with a few friends or in the midst of thousands.  We are instructed to worship God in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24).  Everything in our lives should bring glory to God (Col. 3:17).  Worship should be our way of life.
 

Worship is not for you...it is for Jesus.

When we choose to attend or leave a church because of the worship style or quality, we are headed down a slippery slope.  To begin with, we must remember that times of worship are for Jesus.  Times of worship are NOT for you.  I like good music as much as the next guy but if I need a certain kind or quality of music to worship Jesus, then maybe there is something wrong with my perspective.  When we choose or leave churches based mainly upon the worship style/quality, we are doing so based upon 20-30 minutes of a meeting.  I hope church is much more than this to Christians.  If we would choose churches based upon whether a community of saints is or isn't a family, the type/quality of music wouldn't enter into the discussion much of the time.  Always remember, worship is for Jesus, not for your musical tastes. 

Worship will be 'hot' and 'cold'.

Unless you are part of a larger church that has professional or quality musicians each week, you can almost count on weeks that are really inspired and weeks that are definitely flat or off.  But that is only talking about the music itself.  Even with professional or quality musicians, worship can be flat if the spiritual life of the leaders are experiencing a less than stellar week.  We must all learn to worship when things are wonderful in our song times and when things are musically or spiritually challenged.  To expect to be 'inspired' by the music at church each week is a set up for disappointment.  

Worship quality depends much on your heart.

I know that the quality of my worship experience (whether in music or life) is often determined by how much I am living out my faith in robust ways.  When I am flat in my faith, my quality of worship is usually challenged as well.  When I am filled with the Spirit and living out strong stanza's of life for Jesus, my heart is swollen with passion for my King.  This passion will not be curtailed by style or quality or lack of music, it will have to burst out.  My life will overflow with praise and worship for Jesus in everything I do.

Worship is meant for Jesus; to lift up His name, to speak/sing about what He has done, to declare to everyone that we are in love with Him, to spend ourselves in imitating His life.  When we have lives of worship, not just services of worship, the world will experience a depth of love that music can't communicate.