Whatever Happened to Worship?

This question has stuck with me for some time as I have tried to understand worship in the context of the New Testament church: Is it ever-changing, or has it fallen away?

This has led me to ask the following questions: What exactly is worship? How is worship done? Why do people worship? Does worship play any role in our spiritual formation?

Sometimes I wonder, “Why wouldn’t God just give us clear cut instructions?”

Surely if we were given step by step instructions on worship we couldn’t mess that up…and there wouldn’t be the need for any debate regarding these practices.

Then I remember the examples of the Israelites and how, even with rigid rules, they seemed to miss the heart of what God was communicating.

So perhaps worship is not something that fits a perfect mold or style, but is something more…

What is worship?

Louie Giglio says it this way: “Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is and what He has done; expressed by the things we say and the way we live.”

Worship is a response.

I remember driving one night in the middle-of-nowhere Texas, where there was no ambient light from nearby cities to muddy the night sky and the brilliance of every single star pierced the darkness in the way that causes you to hold your breathe. I had never witnessed anything like that.

Immediately, my mind was taken to the greatness of God and that He created something so magnificent. Theologians call this “Natural Revelation.” Things that are created attest to the existence, greatness, and glory of God.”

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

How I responded in that moment wasn’t as important as the fact that I did respond.

How is worship done?

If the “what” of worship is our response to God, then the “how” of worship is our expression. Again, instructions on the manner in which these expression should be practiced would be welcomed, but in absence of those we have to interpret what is given in scripture.

To this, I am always taken back to Job. In a matter of moments everything came crashing down around him, literally killing his children and taking all of his possessions. Job responded by tearing his robe, shaving his head, and falling to the ground he worshiped.

He humbled himself, he lifted God up, and he did not sin. What a powerful statement. Through all of the difficulties that Job experienced, he expressed himself to God and worshiped.

So how should we express ourselves during worship?

Are there song styles, or mannerisms that are more Biblical than others?

While there are some postures of worship that are mentioned in the Bible, none are given any priority over the other. Worship comes in song, obedience, and care for one another. If a strict adherence to a posture or performance of worship mattered to God, then He would have made that clear through scripture.

This doesn’t mean the “how” of worship isn’t important. Kevin Van Hoozer says, “Does it really matter how we worship? Yes, it does, because ultimately it is not simply a question of ‘how,’ but also of ‘what.’ Questions of style are not unrelated to questions of substance. This, I submit, is the point of Jesus’ teaching on worshiping the Father in Spirit and in Truth.”

Why do people worship?

Because it is innate within us. Because our nature has rendered us unable to fully understand the complexities of the universe and the mysteries of God. So, in moments where we find ourselves incapable, we worship. To worship God is to acknowledge our relation to God, and to fully submit our lives, our circumstances, our hopes, and our desires to Him. To worship God is to demonstrate our devotion to Him by our delight and recognition of His sovereignty over every area of our lives.

Does worship play a role in our spiritual formation?

Yes! When we worship God, we humble ourselves completely to Him. Humility is the first step in recognizing God for who He is, and what He has done. Humbling ourselves is the first action that puts us in our rightful place to recognize the work that God is capable of doing in us, and our need for what only He can give.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”  (Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

Conclusion

So whatever happened to worship? Well, it has never left. Worship may have changed stylistically over generations, but worship that is done in Spirit and Truth resides in the hearts of men and women who are humbled before God.

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Stephen, his wife Leslie, and their 4 sons live in Palm Bay, Florida. A native of West Texas, Stephen followed God’s call on his life to study to become a ministry leader at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Stephen oversaw the campus wide Prayer and Life Group ministry with over 1,300 small group leaders, and the Residence Life program. In 2018, God brought Stephen and his family to Brevard County with the goal of planting a church. Stephen currently works as the Director of Ministry Outreach and oversees the  National Outreach Program at Christian Care Ministry.