How Worship Shouldn't Be

A month ago I wrote an entry describing how a sermon should be. It seemed to have picked up some traction over the last couple of weeks as I've been seeing a few people share and react to it from within my own circle of friends.

This made me think about how there is such a need to shed some light on the things that we've grown accustomed to while in church. Based on what I've been observing, most of my readers are like me in the sense that they grew up with Christian backgrounds, or have recently started attending a new Christian church. There are those who have endured in the faith for almost all of their lives and have mostly just gone with the flow of things - but never took the time to understand the purpose behind gathering together, or the necessity behind certain practices. For others who are much newer to the faith and community, this can all feel pretty foreign, and they want to make sure they get it right. I hear these concerns most especially when it comes to the topic of Worship.

photo by Shaun Frankland

Worship or the Worship Service is arguably one of the most widely discussed subjects within the universal Church. It dates all the way back to the time of Luther, and is still being debated about today. To take on the position of Worship Leader is probably one of the most sought after positions in a church, if the Pastor not being the first. Some people consider this as an important factor when it comes to choosing a church. Sometimes movements and even whole ministries are built around it. There are constantly new workshops being put together, conferences being done, schools being put up, and books being released on the subject (in fact, I'm just about done with one written by Bob Kauflin - fair warning that this post is largely influenced by it). But with all these resources, how is it possible that some churches are still unable to grasp what worship really is?

I can think of a few reasons. One of them being that I think we've made worship to be such a personal thing. And while that's somewhat true, there is a potential danger that anyone can call just about anything "worship". It might not be worship to you, or it might not even be the worship God requires, but as long as they feel they are worshiping God, no one can judge them.

Unlike my previous post on sermons, I won't be providing any points today on what or how worship should be or look like. There are far too many resources out in the public written by more godly, skilled, and in my humble opinion, more qualified than me. But I can most definitely cite what Worship is NOT:

1. It is not just about the music.

Let's get this out of the way. Worship is not just the 30-45 minutes before and after a sermon on Sunday. If we say that worship is "to glorify and praise God", then that means that this shouldn't be confined to just our time of singing. What I tend to notice with most churches is that they see the Sunday gathering in segments - Singing, Preaching, and Fellowship. But what the modern church fails to understand is that these practices were never to be divorced from one other. All these things are meant to exalt God and give us a better understanding of Him.

Even the very act of coming together on Sundays glorifies God and builds up the body - so worship is not just a portion of the service, but the whole service itself. I'd go so far to say that worship must even extend beyond Sundays - it must be seen in your everyday life.

Furthermore, something must also be said about the choice of music on Sundays. I know all too well that there will be people who will have certain preferences when it comes to song selection and style. Some are more traditional and prefer to stick to the Psalms and hymns, others enjoy singing newer songs or even songs written by people from within their own congregation, and still others enjoy a mix of both.

I think an overarching principle that we can apply in cases such as these is one found in Philippians 2:3-4. Unity isn't found in conformity and forcing everyone to stick to your preferences, but instead in humility "considering others as better than ourselves". If a worship service stands to edify believers, then we must be willing to lay aside personal musical tastes for the sake of others. After all, as Bob Kauflin puts it in his book Worship Matters: "It's not the music that blends people together, it's the gospel." Which leads me to my next point.

2. It does not replace the gospel.

I heard someone once say, "Singing can do something that preaching can't." I'm afraid that this is a misconception that a lot of modern day churches make today. In order for Worship to be true, we must set it on an objective Truth. And nothing is more true than the Gospel, found in Scripture. All throughout the Bible, many of its writers and even Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of leaning on the Word.

"Sanctify them in Your truth. Your Word is truth."

(John 17:17)

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."

(Acts 2:42)

"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching."

(1 Timothy 4:13) 

I realize that there are many seeker sensitive churches who use their praise & worship time as a means to invite unbelievers. Others go so far as to use music and the time of singing to get newcomers to make a public declaration of faith or become members of the church. But music in and of itself cannot transform lives. This is not a good way to grow our churches and mature the believer. Only the holy Word is able to do that, by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. How do I know this? Further down Acts 2, Luke writes:

"... all the while praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." 

(v. 47)

It was only God who brought about the growth and added to the church's number. Now to it's credit, it is undeniable that music helps us remember and feel the gospel, but this only works if the Gospel is actually being fed to the church properly. Someone once said, "Tell me what songs a church sings, and I'll tell you about their theology." If our congregation is seeking to satisfy their hunger for God, but their spiritual diet only consists of music or an "awesome praise & worship experience", then I'm afraid we're leaving them starved. Do not deny them the nourishment that only the Word provides. We must let our theology inform our doxology, thus said Worship cannot replace the Word.

3. It is not based on feelings.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Didn't you just mention that worshiping God through music & singing helps us feel the gospel?" Allow me to qualify this. 

I'm not saying that anyone who cries while singing is faking it or jumping up and down and pumping fists in the air is totally wrong. When I say worship is not based on feelings, the problem here is not in the expressing of emotions - it's emotionalism. Just because we feel all the feels doesn't always mean we're being led by the Spirit. We must not get carried away by what is happening in the moment. Think about it: people are able to do the same at their favorite concert. Cry, scream, jump, dance, run around. So what makes a Christian worship service any different?

This video never gets old for me:

"Worship can be Spirit-led if it is Word-fed", Kauflin writes. True worship must be based on an objective, unchanging Truth. And we find that Truth in God - His attributes, His works and His promises. It's so much easier to remember these things when a melody is in place, but let the music serve the lyrics - not the other way around. When we ponder on the words being said it becomes more real to us - but we must be careful not to let feelings take precedence over our thinking. Worship involves both the head and the heart together.

4. It is not about us.

With everything I just mentioned, I think it's important that we remember what worship is truly about. Worship should ultimately seek to magnify God. I know that for most of us, our common understanding of doing so is to fall to our knees and express our thanks for everything He has done in our lives. Often times, that results in selecting songs that reflect that gratitude. But the risk in choosing too many songs of that kind can lead to man-centered worship.

This one goes out to worship leaders especially. When all the big Christian/Worship hits being served to us are about how "we are blessed, we are accepted, we are loved ", I know that doesn't leave us with much of a choice. With all our current options, we're bound to make 80% of our songs on Sunday mornings about how we feel, rather than who God is. How do we find balance?

Kauflin lists 3 categories of worship songs that could aid worship leaders in their selection:

a. Objective songs

Songs that outwardly exclaim God's attributes. They tell us something true about Him and help us know Him better. Many of the old hymns have objective lyrics to them such as:

There is A Fountain Filled With Blood

Wonderful, Merciful Savior

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

But there are also new songs that help us think about Him in this way: Great Are You Lord by All Sons and Daughters, In Christ Alone by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, or Indescribable by Laura Story/Chris Tomlin to name a few.

b. Subjective songs

When we respond in love, adoration and with gratitude towards God, we're expressing what we feel. Not all subjective songs are man-centered. After all, "God delights in strong emotions that are a response to objective realities." (Kauflin) Psalm 86 is a good indication of this.

As mentioned earlier, a lot of the contemporary songs can be considered subjective. Some good ones that I've heard are I Worship You or I Love You Lord by Don Moen (I'm so old school, I know), Chris Tomlin's Lay Me Down, Phil Wickham's Carry My Soul, Forgiven and Loved by Jimmy Needham, or Though You Slay Me by Shane & Shane. 

c. Reflective songs

These are songs that reminds us of His commands, His works and His promises in the midst of present circumstances, and what that means for us today. 

Songs such as Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus, Be Still My Soul, O Great God (Matt Boswell/Sovereign Grace Music), and I Am Ashamed (Sandra McCracken) all speak of why God is worthy to be praised, and what we're doing as we worship. We praise Him, We repent, we trust in Him, we adore Him, we lay our offerings before Him. 

Personally, I think a subcategory should be added into this one, which has some sort of Call To Action for the believer. It's a little hard to describe at the moment, but when you listen to songs like O Church Arise (Getty), Wake Up (All Sons and Daughters), Facing A Task Unfinished (Getty), Fast From, Feast On (Page CXVI) - you'll pretty much see what I mean.

THE RIGHT FOCUS

All in all, this is not about having more traditional songs, or contemporary songs, or finding a balance in between.  To emphasize on those aspects alone would be missing the point. What I'm trying to say here is that the key to having the right kind of worship is to know the Object of our Worship, and the purpose of it. Worshiping God through singing is a special privilege given to believers because they worship a God who sings (Zephaniah 3:17). That being said, every aspect of the worship service must be planned out with the intention of exalting God and building up the church. 

If you're a worship leader reading this, perhaps it's time to reassess your priorities when it comes to creating your Sunday lineup. Questions like "Will it transition well?" or "Do I sound good in it?" should be secondary. Instead ask things like "What will they learn from singing this song?" or "Will they see and understand God better with this?" and "Will this edify/strengthen/comfort those who hear?" Let's be honest - in your congregation, not everyone is going to be singing. Someone will always just be watching the crowd, observing the leaders, or reading what's up on the powerpoint. Maybe they're new. Or maybe it was a tough week for them and they can't bring themselves to join in. Will they be able to pause and remember Christ in the midst of their circumstances, or will they feel so far removed from you and wonder about the absurdity of it all? Think about those people and learn to serve them (not please them).

I've said it many times, and possibly in many different ways: worship should always have people leave with a bigger view of God than when they first came in.

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Resources:

Many of the principles and quotes I've shared in today's blog come from Bob Kauflin's book entitled "Worship Matters". It's a wonderful resource for anyone looking to understand the Theology behind worship, plus some practical points on how to be purposeful in planning and conducting it. I highly recommend it* especially for those who are currently serving in music-related ministries!

*this post is not sponsored :)