Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24, NIV)
Honestly, I struggle with worship. Since I was a little boy I have had this struggle. Why? Worship in my tradition is equated with singing. Though I love good singing like most, I cannot participate because I cannot sing well. Having been somewhat tone-deaf throughout life, and being raised in a church that emphasized excellence in music, I have always participated quietly. Too, I have no rhythm. Being raised in the age of contemporary music and worship, and having connections with African-American worship, I have assumed that you must clap during upbeat songs to express worship. But I cannot do this. In order to clap during songs I have to watch someone else who has rhythm so that I can stay on beat. But when I do this, I lose my place singing and the experience is somewhat draining, rather than uplifting.
My rhythm is so bad that I added a closing chorus to First Baptist's order of worship because I could not walk to the back of the church to shake hands while praying. The closing chorus gives me a clear aisle to walk while the others sing. When the congregation struggled to remember this the first few Sundays, I came clean and confessed why I have added the chorus. I got a good chuckle, and no complaints since!
It is a blessing to see others engaged in worship both reverently and passionately, under whatever style that they see fit. Whether it is gospel, revivalist, traditional, liturgical, contemporary or even pentecostal, I am always moved to be a part of a worship gathering in which worshipers are pouring their hearts and energy before the Lord.
Yet, what is it that God really desires in worship? Jesus said that God is spirit and desires worshipers, who, in turn, worship in spirit and truth. Jesus said this in the context of the Jewish and Samaritan dispute over the proper location for worship. Were the worshippers of God to worship in Samaria or Judea, on Mt. Gerizim or Mt. Zion? We ask similar things regarding the content of a worship service, the style of music, the day, the time and whatever other traditions that influence how we express ourselves before God.
Yet God is not interested in those things. He is interested in truth. He is interested in the worldview through which we give our energy and expressions of praise. He is interested to in worshipping in the core of our being. Not that we come to a certain place to meet God, but that God's Spirit has come to the core of our lives, desiring intimacy and our personal transformation. God wants the things that are important to Him to naturally become important to us. And, thus, our lives to engage the world as if God's priorities are really our own.
Worship is an instrument through which we are transformed so that we naturally direct our energy to the things of God.
Just a thought...
2 comments:
I have a bit of rhythm, a saxaphone scholarship helped pay my way through undergrad, but I share your frustration with not having a particulary capable singing voice. It's always been frustrating because the words are usually words and thoughts that I wan't to express well - with all the vigor or longing they deserve - precisely because what is expressed should be transformational. Alas, it would be a very hard-pressed church that asked me over as their music minister!
Dr. Terry York, the worship prof here at Truett, knew some folks who were prisoners during the Vietnam war. And they managed to hold church services in their prison cells. They used Morse (sp?) code to tap fragments of scripture passages and favorite hymns through the walls. I think there are a great many things about our current worship services that were not tapped through those walls (after all, a prison-wide picnic probably wasn't happening). But their hopelessness and loneliness was transformed to joy and communion as they tapped out scripture and song together.
Some of them probably never saw each other's faces: but they had worshipped together.
Chris,
Thank you for the unbelievable worship story! I am sure that could be sermon material!
I hope that you are doing well. God bless!
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