What is Worship?

I have been walking with God for over 25 years and still some Christian terms are not really clear to me. But on an occasion I get a clear picture. One of the loaded terms we use in Christianity is the word "Worship".

For the longest time I thought worship meant singing in church. But as my faith grew and I went to seminary the picture got bigger, but not clearer. Pretty soon everything is worship. Giving tithe, singing, praying - in fact the whole church service is often referred to as the "Worship Service" But this is just a list of activities; it doesn't get to the root of the meaning.

I have come to the conclusion that godly worship is this: The appropriate response to the presence or the knowledge of God. What our worship looks like after our encounter with God, is a matter of the state of our hearts. When our hearts are dark and filled with sin we can respond one of two ways. We can reject God (in belief that He is rejecting us) or we can worship him. I think when our hearts are not clean, true worship is when we fall down before God in humility recognizing that we cannot save ourselves and that we can only look to the grace and mercy of God for our salvation. I think we should even beg for it, but not because that is what God demands, but rather it just shows how much we realize we cannot live without God's mercy and grace.

I think our response to God - our worship - will vary from day to day. I think "acceptable worship" is a wide brush stroke. I think we can sing, dance, fall on our faces, laugh for joy, weep tears of gratitude, and the list goes on. But what ever it is, it must be authentic and true. Jesus says his people will worship in spirit and in truth. The apostle Paul tells us in the first verse of Romans chapter 12 that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.

We are told in the Word of God what we are to worship the Lord our God only. Which seems to imply that there are other things that we could worship; other gods, the creation, wealth, personal freedom, pleasure etc. In this sense this kind of worship is not godly or appropriate worship but rather idolatry. I think when we put other things before God we are saying that in worshiping other things we are giving something besides God power over us. In godly worship we recognize that there is no greater power than our Triune God; God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit.

I pray then for you reading this that you find an outlet for your worship that is acceptable in the sight of God. I pray that you will be set free to abandon all your fears and hang-ups and worship the God of Glory in spirit and in truth. I truly believe that as we learn to worship God in Spirit and Truth, that we will have greater freedom and a greater joy than we have ever experienced. I am not suggesting anarchy, but freedom from fear of other's rejection and freedom to respond to how God is moving in your heart. There is a place for this, maybe in your personal prayer time, maybe in a home group setting, maybe atop a mountain; I don't know. Only you in your earnest and sincere seeking of The One True God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit with the guidance of the Word of God, can know what worship will look like for you.

Some would say that God would never ask you to do anything you are uncomfortable with. I would strongly disagree. Its when we step out of our comfort zones under the calling of the Holy Spirit that are set free to worship in Spirit and in truth.

To God be the Glory! Amen