Day 4: What Is Worship?

Welcome to Day 4 of 5 – the day that all we've done so far has been leading toward. First, watch today's video here, then, read the following. As you do today's work, begin to jot down your ideas for a 3 paragraph My View Of Worship Statement. Tomorrow, that will be how we practically bring these 5 days of study right into your daily life as a worship leader. Video time: 7:27 Reading time (est.): 10:00 Day 3 Total Time: 17:27

DAY 4: WHAT IS WORSHIP?

What Is Worship?

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Romans 12:1-2

I often begin conferences and seminars by saying "How many of you have come here to learn more about worship?" Many people raise their hands. Then I say, "How many of you are hoping I might have something to say about worship that might be new, revelatory, or interesting?" More people raise their hands. Then I say, "I have a confession to make. The more I dig into the meaning of worship, the mystery of what it means to engage in this privileged relationship with God, the less I feel I have to say about worship."

A Mystery And A Wonder

Like David, talking about worship is talking about things "too wonderful" for us" (Psalm 139:6). Yet, here we are, leaders of worship, participants in worship, and those who live out what it means on a daily basis. Worship is a mystery, a wonder, a gift of intimate exchange between our Creator and us. At the same time, the Scripture above quite clearly tells us about what worship truly is. Let's take a brief look at what it means to have our worship be a living sacrifice before God. When Paul spoke about the living sacrifice and self-offering in Romans 12:1–2, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was speaking to a culture familiar with the idea of sacrifice. The Jews knew one thing about a sacrifice: it was dead. When Paul begins speaking about a living sacrifice, he is saying to them, "As dead as a dead sacrifice is, that is how living your sacrifice is to be." Hear the retelling of this passage by Eugene Peterson in The Message:

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking- around life — and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out."

Romans 12:1–2 (The Message)

What Is Worship?

In other words, worship is a word we use for an activity that encompasses all of our lives offered to Jesus in complete and utter surrender. Whether we are singing songs on a Sunday morning, handing clothes to someone who needs them on Wednesday, or choosing how we'll spend our work paycheck on Friday, every act of life has the potential to be an offering of worship. The early Church father Irenaeus of Lyons put it this way,

"The glory of God is a human being, fully alive."

When Romans 12:1–2 defines worship, it describes worship as a "living sacrifice" on the part of the worshipper. In other words, we put God at the beginning, middle, and end of our every thought, choice and action. When we turn all of life into a simple response to the love of God (1John 4:19), we are truly becoming the worshippers for whom the Father is searching (John 4:24).

The Melody and Harmonies of Worship

When Jesus speaks to the woman at the well in John 4:21–24, he says that God is seeking a certain kind of worship, and it's not the kind of worship that is based on services, locations, and doing things right. It is based on a life living out its relationship with God, "in spirit and in truth." It flows from the heart in the midst of life, like a melody flows in and around the notes and accompaniment telling a beautiful story. In our generation, we sometimes confuse the melody of worship with the harmonies that are meant to support it, beautify it, and reveal it. First, Jesus is after our hearts, our lives. Music won't cut it. Liturgies won't replace it. The Arts will never displace the call of the heart to offer itself in response to the everlasting love of God. Life Worship is the melody God is after in John 4:21–24. Gathered Worship is a harmony meant to support this melody. It is what we do when we make music, break bread, share fellowship, and experience art. Family Worship is also harmony and is gathered worship in our homes. Finally, Personal Worship elevates and energizes the other forms of worship and ultimately lifts the melody of life worship to its height.

1) Life Worship (the melody), 2) Gathered Worship (the accompaniment), 3) Family Worship (the accompaniment), and 4) Personal Worship (the accompaniment).

So now we ask, for our worship theology, why do we worship?

Why We Worship

Why this complete giving over of our life worship to an unseen God?

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

1 Peter 1:7–9

Our hearts have been captured by a Story. It is the story of a Creator King, an Intervening Savior, who penetrated into the darkest tombs of humanity and emerged the Life Victor. It is the Story that invites us, moves us, and draws into relationship with a God who is unseen. Even with our belief in Jesus, who John said walked and moved among us, we remain today the worshippers of a God who does not choose to make Himself in flesh and bone before our eyes. We "... love him ... and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy," as Peter states above.

Why Do We Worship?

The Story moves us, and the Person within the Story encounters us, and we respond. Our completely surrendered life is the only offering that is fitting when one truly begins to understand the Story in which we find ourselves. God has taken the initiative in a relationship to reveal Himself intimately to us and to passionately pursue us. In the light of this reality, we begin to discover why we worship. This biblical perspective is found in a simple passage in 1 John 4:19.

"We love him because he first loved us."

1 John 4:19

From this passage, we understand that a healthy theological approach to worship suggests that worship is primarily a response to the already, and all-consuming, love of God.

What Does Music Have to Do with It?

If worship is a whole life response to the love of God, then what does music have to do with worship? Brian Doerksen (Come, Now Is The Time To Worship), respected contemporary worship leader and songwriter, explains it this way:

"Why do we sing songs in the first place? We do it because it is something that we can do together. There are probably other things that we could do to express our love and our worship to God that would be, in one sense, just as valid, but they're not easy for us to do together."

Yet we can get ten people, or a hundred people, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand —whatever number we choose—and we can all get together and sing a song. That song reflects what is going on in our hearts and our minds, together. There is truth that we're affirming, but there's also affection that we're expressing. That's why I think that singing as an expression of worship has stood the test of time."

[From a personal interview]

In other words, when we use the power of poetic lyrics, blended with the power of music, we are literally creating a place where God can meet with people, and people can meet with God.

Songs are a place we go.

Songs are an encountering ground where our prayers can take flight on the wings of words and melodies. As a worship team, when we select, practice, prepare, and perform songs in the tapestry that we call a "worship set," we are literally creating a place for people to encounter God. People come to a time of worship saying in the quiet of their hearts what the psalmist said, "Where and when can I go and meet with God?" The worship leader responds, "How about here? How about now?" and leads them to that place of meeting.

What Is The Role Of Those Who Lead Worship?

Suddenly learning parts from a CD, preparing set lists, rehearsing mid-week for a few hours, getting up early on a Sunday morning to set up gear and to sound check, choosing to love in relationships and playing for two or three services a week, takes on a context. We are serving the people of God, with the gifts and passions that energize us, by creating a place for us all to encounter God. In some beautiful way, this reality makes all the hard work seem to be a grand privilege to be able to enjoy our love for music in such a way that leads others to a more beautiful place with God than they had been before. Worship leading is most like the role of the best man or maid of honor at a wedding. We are leading the Bride and Groom to intimately share in acts of love and commitment between one another. How horrible it would be to think of the best man in a wedding drawing away the attention of the Bride to Himself, or of the maid of honor drawing the Groom's attention to herself! We are in the role we are in, as lead worshippers, to make a way for people to meet with God, and to create a space where simple songs can put wings to the prayers of those who have gathered to worship. We usher people gently to a place where they can respond to the love of God. It's as simple as that.

Four Ways We Can Look at Worship

Let's wrap this up with some good worship theology. Remember our definition of "good theology" from the first session? Here it is again to remind us, and let's keep it in mind as we continue.

Good theology is that which draws us near to the God of the Scriptures (James 4:8), strengthens love in our hearts for Him and the people of this world (John 3:16), and equips us to live the Jesus life as those who obey his loving commands (John 14:15).

With Romans 12:1–2 as our pivot point, we reflect on key theological ideas related to worship that have been supported both biblically and traditionally by the Church. If worship's focus is 1) A God who is Creator, King, Trinity, and Savior, and is then participated in by 2) Human beings who are Sub-Creators, Image Bearers, Community Builders, and Salvation Storytellers, then Worship is 3) A Creative activity, A Royal activity, A Relational activity, and a Narrative activity.

1. Worship Is A Creative Act.

If God is Creator and we are Sub-Creators, then worship is a Creative activity. The expressions of worship call to us from the pages of biblical history and church history. Multi-colored, multi-media, multi-ethnic, multi-sensory, and multi-disciplined expressions of worship have pulsed throughout the whole of the record of Christian worship. Engaging what biologists today tell us may be at least 32 senses active in the human body, we are free to engage all of the media this life affords us to express our adoration and self-surrender to God. In Exodus 35–36, two artists named Bezalel and Oholiab are brought onto the stage of the Old Testament. They are "skilled in their craft," and they apply that craft, along with a rich community of other artisans in metal, fabric, color, and more (we see the first "yarn art" in this passage) to the ornamentation of the amazing Tabernacle of Moses. In Genesis 4:21, Jubal, the father of all who play the harp and flute, is recounted to our remembrance. Jubal's name, speaking powerfully and vocationally to all musicians of any age, means "stream or river." Like a river into which we never step twice, due to its constantly moving waters, creative leaders have the capacity to reinvent old ideas in new and stunning ways. In Revelation 4–5, we see a visual and sonic (sight and sound) display that must boggle even the most over-imaginative mind. Creativity is at the center of the lavish display of honor and affection that is worship.

2. Worship Is A Royal Act.

If God is King and we are Image Bearers, then worship is a Royal activity. If human beings are indeed the Image Bearers of God according to Genesis 1:6– 7, then worship becomes a supremely royal and vice-regently act. This is the essence of Peter's words on worship in 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV):

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

In other words, we are a royal priesthood, so that we may declare praise. It is precisely because we are those images of the true Deity, set up in regions over which He has rule and dominion, and upon which He sets His protection, that we are able to offer the accumulated praise of the created order back to God. We are royal subjects of the Great King, so that we may give voice to creation's praise.

3. Worship Is A Relational Act.

If God is Trinity and we are Community Builders, then worship is a Relational activity. A dark moment occurred between David and his wife, Michal, in 2 Samuel 6. Michal (daughter of the previous king) mocked David upon his return to Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant, as he led the dancing throngs in worship with himself clad only in a small loincloth.

"'How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today—exposing himself to the eyes of the servants' maids like some burlesque street dancer!' David replied to Michal, 'In God's presence I'll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God's people, over Israel. Oh yes, I'll dance to God's glory—more recklessly even than this. And as far as I'm concerned, I'll gladly look like a fool ... but among these maids you're so worried about, I'll be honored no end.'"

2 Samuel 6:4-5

David found connection with the people of God, with those whose hearts were like-passioned with his own. It is vital that we understand the corporate nature of worship, and that it overshadows the more individualistic visions of worship we have today. David could dance because the presence of God, and the joyful faces of his people, gave him the gumption to do so. Building a community of like-hearted worshippers is vital to worship being vibrant in a local fellowship.

4. Worship Is A Narrative Act.

If God is Savior and we are Salvation Storytellers, then worship is a Narrative activity. The Salvation Storytellers of our generation, the followers of a God who is the Savior of humankind, have a narrative to tell. From the hanging of phylacteries (small vessels containing various scriptures) on the forehead by the Jews, to the call for them to retell the stories of their deliverance from the hands of their oppressors, to the acts of worship that have continually propelled the people of God into the world inflamed with a Story that speaks to slavery, poverty, and government – worship is a profoundly narrative act. Worship expression is not simply the romantic emoting of an individual or a community before God. Worship is the act of retelling the Kingdom Story in many, many ways. When we put fresh lyrics into the mouths of God's people, they find fresh ways of talking about what God is doing in their lives throughout the week. As worship leaders and teams, we are helping people to narrate their own lives with God with the language of hope, joy, and renewed confidence.

The Whispers Of Worship In Our Ears

Every time you think about worship now, I'd like to encourage you to hear whispers of Romans 12:1–2, 1 John 4:19, the Psalms, Genesis, the Epistles, and Revelation. I would encourage you to see life worship as the melody we are calling everyone to sing. Our gathered worship, family worship, and personal worship experiences are meant to harmonize with that melody and lift it to its proper place. See the life worship you lead as your loudest instrument, and see gathered worship as a creative, royal, relational, and narrative activity vital to strengthening your community to live a full, rich lifetime as disciples of Christ. Above all, embrace that worship is a response to the love of God. We'll finish with a quote from Evelyn Underhill, from her important work, simply entitled, Worship, written in 1937.

"Worship, in all its grades and kinds, is the response of the creature to the Eternal."

Let's respond, with all we are, to the love of our Creator, King, Trinitarian God, and Savior. And let's lead others to do the same. :: A Note from Dan I'd like to pause here as you finish Day 4. What is stirring in your heart and mind from these days of reflection, and from today's material? Take out your journal, and write down (bullet point form is fine) the key insights you sense that God is giving you into a theology of worship worth living and dying for. Tonight as you rest, ask God to begin to distill for you the big ideas that He wants to guide your thinking, creativity, and leadership as a worship leader. I encourage you to stay with this for our last day, tomorrow, so you can complete your thinking about this vital arena of worship leadership. I'm continuing to pray for you; we all have a part to play in being the lead worshippers of God's people for a time such as this. Blessings, and your final day is tomorrow. Well done.