I'm not one of those "worship guys." If you've heard me sing then it is abundantly clear that what I say is true. But I do love music and it is a powerful medium through which I love to worship. Notice I didn't say it was the medium of worship,just one of them. The primary way that we are to worship God and give Him glory is with our lives (Galatians 2:19-20). In all that we do or say or think God is to be glorified and we are to be living sacrifices, offering our very lives up to God daily as an act of worship (Romans 12:10).
Music may just be one of the most powerful forces on earth. It reflects and even changes our moods, it pumps us up at the gym, it brings us to our knees with its beauty and power, it disgusts us at times with its rawness, and it delights us when we hear it come from hands of those we love. As a medium of worship, music has a dramatic effect on me. I love to sing and worship King Jesus through music and, just like with you, my worship is enhanced by the style of music through which it's delivered. So why are Christians so quick to denigrate and criticize so many different style of worship music? I believe it's because we have placed priority on style over content and elevated the music itself to a level above the God that we claim to worship through it.
I make it no secret that I prefer more contemporary styles of worship music. Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, and those of that genre are my favorite to listen to and worship with. Yes, I prefer the style of music that these artists deliver but more than that I love the content of the words that they set to song. You see, I believe with all my heart that our worship set to music must be vertical in all ways. What I mean is that the words that we sing should be about our God and His great glory alone. This includes the beautiful cross of Christ and His incredible grace that He has lavished upon us.
The problem with much worship music that is out there - whether it be labeled as contemporary, southern gospel, traditional, or urban in its style - is that it's often very horizontal. The message is all about what I get from God - "I'm going to heaven", "I am blessed", "God's got great things for me", etc. - and in this way it puts us on the same plane with the God that we adore. Are we going to heaven as believers? Yes. Are we blessed as children of God? Absolutely. Does God have great things for us? Sure. But to extol those above God Himself serves to shift the focus away from Him onto us.
There is surely a fine line with much of this vertical vs. horizontal worship. But in other cases it exists as a wide chasm. I'm not a worship expert and I'm not singling out any specific style of music for criticism. But I have also made it my goal that, when I worship my God through music, it will only be in a way that gives Him the highest glory and praise that I can offer. If we are confused at all as how to worship our God and King, let us look to the Bible as our guide for the words that should flow as songs from our mouths.
"Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!" - Psalm 8:1
"I will thank the Lord with all my heart; I will declare all Your wonderful works. I will rejoice and boast about You; I will sing about Your name, Most High." - Psalm 9:1-2
"Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once." - John 13:31-32
"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming." - Revelation 4:8
"Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created." - Revelation 4:11
"The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength. Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" - Revelation 5:12&13
2 comments:
Hey Sterl! I've enjoyed reading your posts. This one obviously resonates with me (as a worship leader). I'm sure you don't mind if I stir the pot a bit?? I agree with everything you said but want to pose a new thought on part of it. You may very well agree with it (maybe not), but I believe it to be a common misunderstanding:
"The primary way that we are to worship God and give Him glory is with our lives (Galatians 2:19-20). In all that we do or say or think God is to be glorified and we are to be living sacrifices, offering our very lives up to God daily as an act of worship (Romans 12:10)."
I would say that our life's goal in all things is to give God glory, and worship is only one way to do that. In other words, worship is a specific practice that gives God glory and is itself not the only medium in which to give God glory. Worship is always intentional, and it's normative Biblical practice is via music.
To offer your bodies as living sacrifices is your spiritual worship. To me this is a specific active thing. Not a "washing your car" or "playing with your kids" activity. Although such activities can indeed glorify God, they are not worship.
The only danger I see in equating giving God glory with worshiping him is the dilution of worship. Worship historically had very strict guidelines and practices to demonstrate its importance. We are to "enter in" to worship as we examine ourselves, reflect, and engage. Thoughts anyone? Maybe this will inspire a blog post??
That's some good food for thought, Stephen. I don't agree with any of what you wrote; I probably should have distinguished more between actual worship and the expression of worship, in this sense and which you correctly pointed out is primarily through music.
The "spiritual act of worship" from Romans 12:10 is an interesting statement that I'm not sure I completely grasp.
Post a Comment