Have you ever walked into a worship service…service, a term I use begrudgingly because of its implications, like I attend church to BE served, to BE serviced like a car in disrepair, to BE filled…but anyway, have you ever walked into a worship experience and found yourself amongst a group of people singing, clapping, dancing, shouting, raising their hands, worshiping with reckless abandon?
What did you think?
How did you feel?
Have you ever wondered WHY they, we, I do these things? Have you ever wondered why the person next to you has their arms in the air? Have you ever wondered why the person in the front row is weeping? Have you ever wondered why that one person seems to shout at random times? Have you ever wondered WHY?
Here’s an overly simple answer: WORSHIP.
That’s it. It’s worship. W-O-R-S-H-I-P.
I didn’t grow up in the church. I didn’t experience the church, at least not willingly, until my mid-twenties. I was freakin’ weirded out by those people. I thought they had questions. I thought they had lost their minds. I was waiting for someone to bring out rattlesnakes. I was…JUDGMENTAL. Unaccepting. Closed-minded. I didn’t understand it and I didn’t want to understand it. It was THEIR thing, not MINE.
Fast-forward a few years. Now I’m the guy raising his arms, crying my face off, and shouting out.
Yesterday or the day before I finished reading through the book of Psalms (if you haven’t done so, I HIGHLY recommend it) and I found time and time and time again the writer prompting me, the church, to PRAISE God, to WORSHIP God. The various writers of the Psalms direct us to do so in multiple ways…not just one, but MANY.
Singing…
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 7:17 NKJV
Playing instruments AND shouting…
Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
Psalm 33:33 NKJV
Gratitude…
I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30-31 NKJV
What did you think?
How did you feel?
Have you ever wondered WHY they, we, I do these things? Have you ever wondered why the person next to you has their arms in the air? Have you ever wondered why the person in the front row is weeping? Have you ever wondered why that one person seems to shout at random times? Have you ever wondered WHY?
Here’s an overly simple answer: WORSHIP.
That’s it. It’s worship. W-O-R-S-H-I-P.
I didn’t grow up in the church. I didn’t experience the church, at least not willingly, until my mid-twenties. I was freakin’ weirded out by those people. I thought they had questions. I thought they had lost their minds. I was waiting for someone to bring out rattlesnakes. I was…JUDGMENTAL. Unaccepting. Closed-minded. I didn’t understand it and I didn’t want to understand it. It was THEIR thing, not MINE.
Fast-forward a few years. Now I’m the guy raising his arms, crying my face off, and shouting out.
Yesterday or the day before I finished reading through the book of Psalms (if you haven’t done so, I HIGHLY recommend it) and I found time and time and time again the writer prompting me, the church, to PRAISE God, to WORSHIP God. The various writers of the Psalms direct us to do so in multiple ways…not just one, but MANY.
Singing…
I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 7:17 NKJV
Playing instruments AND shouting…
Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
Psalm 33:33 NKJV
Gratitude…
I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30-31 NKJV
Posture…
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 95:6 NKJV
Arms raised…
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord.
Psalm 134:2 NKJV
There’s no one way to worship. There’s no right way. It’s an expression. It’s a declaration. It’s an acknowledgement. It’s surrender. It’s vulnerability. It’s an attitude. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s not about the church or tradition. It’s all about God, his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
When you feel uncomfortable, remember it’s not about you.
When you feel awkward, remember it’s not about you.
When you feel like judging the person next to you, remember it’s not about you.
Regardless of where you are, remember that worship is FOR and TO and BECAUSE OF God. So praise him! Shout for joy! Rejoice for all he has done! Celebrate with your voice! Raise your hands as a sign of surrender! Worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. Give thanks for your redemption…your eternal life!
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 95:6 NKJV
Arms raised…
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord.
Psalm 134:2 NKJV
There’s no one way to worship. There’s no right way. It’s an expression. It’s a declaration. It’s an acknowledgement. It’s surrender. It’s vulnerability. It’s an attitude. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s not about the church or tradition. It’s all about God, his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
When you feel uncomfortable, remember it’s not about you.
When you feel awkward, remember it’s not about you.
When you feel like judging the person next to you, remember it’s not about you.
Regardless of where you are, remember that worship is FOR and TO and BECAUSE OF God. So praise him! Shout for joy! Rejoice for all he has done! Celebrate with your voice! Raise your hands as a sign of surrender! Worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. Give thanks for your redemption…your eternal life!
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