Worship Matters

Something I have been thinking quite a bit on recently is how we use the term 'worship' here in Scotland and how that works out in how we engage in worship. The dominant thrust of most Bible teaching churches has been to see worship as a whole life thing. We don't just worship on a Sunday morning but we worship every moment of every day. Absolutely true, no question about that- I am signed up and paid up to that perspective. I don't want a church of Sunday Christians who go and do whatever they want in total forgetfulness of God through the week. I neither want to be that guy or nurture an environment where, and let's call it what it is, hypocrisy is encouraged.

But here's the thing, I am cautious about making this an either or thing. I would want us to be very watchful about diminishing the significance of our time of worship together to something less than what God's word says it ought to be. That time of singing worship songs on a Sunday should serve as a reminder of who God is and what He has done, a recalibration of our lives to believe these truths and an opportunity to redirect one another's focus towards Jesus. We talk often about how worship is singing songs with one another and to one another to God and about God. I want us to be very careful about seeing the worship time as a warm up to the Word time. We come together for Worship AND Word. As such the worship aspect gives us the unique opportunity to personally and vocally ascribe Jesus with worth. I get that the theology of preaching as worship would say that preaching is worship (by the preacher and also by the listeners listening). But let's not allow the worship to be a secondary thing, dry and unplanned because it is seen as of lesser importance (we wouldn't be pleased if those things described the preaching).

At Harvest we want our church family singing great truths about who God is and what God has done. The reality is that they are more likely ot be singing those sentences on the Wednesday than they are recounting the three points of the sermon (music sticks in our head by God's design) so lets give them something good to sing and let's make it seem like a worthy thing to give their time to.

Let us also beware of being cultural Michal's, who see others worshipping the Lord with all their might and despise them in our hearts (2 Samuel 6). I long for us to see the scriptural mandate and preference for sold out worship clapping our hands (Psalm 47:1), raising our hands (1 Timothy 2: 8, Psalm 28: 2, Psalm 63:4) and giving glory to Jesus. Our often settled reluctance to engage in these ways ofetn point to us being a good sight colder spiritually than we may care to imagine. How about this Sunday being less concerned by what people might think of us than being clear before people about what we think about God? It is part enmbracing self-forgetfulness and in whole dwelling upon God's fathfulness that is designed to stir these things up in our soul.

[embed]http://youtu.be/cEbRHmLMUsI[/embed]