Worship is primarily about God, but because He's a generous and loving God, He makes it about us too. He longs to bless us when we spend time with Him. He ministers to our hearts through music, sermons, prayers, people... I have found when I've gone into worship with no agenda of my own, other than to praise Him and be open to what's on His heart, He will bless my heart many times over.
I do look forward to worship with Him, because He often will give insight or confirmation or encouragement, but that's not the primary purpose. It's primarily for His glory, but because He's God, it will also be for our good, that's His promise and we can bank on it! I love 2 Chron 20. The people starting praising God, and He responded by orchestrating an ambush between the enemy, and the enemy killed each other instead of the people of Judah. Yep, He often/always will bless His people when we worship Him. Will we always realize it? that's another question =) I do often joke that sometimes at church I'm praising Him with one hand and "threatening" my kids with the other =).
I don't know if I've said it here on the network, but God can use any song, any style to minister to us if He wants, it can be 1000 years old or just minutes old, it can be spiritual or secular. I remember in 2006, i was at a women of faith conference and had a "bad" attitude about the concert that was suppose to be at the end. God didn't let me keep that attitude for very long and would not let me worship Him with it, because it wasn't even one minute into the concert (so no emotional manipulation through music) and He melted me, I was undone! and basically what the "lesson" was, is "don't limit Me, I can use anything, anytime to minister to you". That encounter was so deep and powerful, that up to a year later, whenever I heard the songs that were played there, on the radio, tears would immediately begin.
and one other "side effect" of worship, is it's a weapon that brings down the enemy and his strongholds (Ps. 149:6-7; Ps. 8:2, 2 Cor. 10:4) again, not a primary reason we worship and praise, but encouraging to know!
I heard a sermon on Worship recently and I came home reiterating exactly what is in your blog. What occurred to me was the criticism that I hear about people who complain that we “don’t hear the old hymns anymore” is often retorted with “Well, It’s not about you anyway, is it?” But it is about them. Worship is about them AND it is about God.
Worship is a relationship, providing us a way to interact with God. We edify God and he in return embraces us, loves us and instructs us.
The Holy Spirit moves us in worship individually. When I hear something in a sermon it may be different than what my husband hears because the Holy Spirit is leading me and him differently.
In the same way, a familiar hymn may bring back memories differently to each individual. Memories of a close walk with God, a journey where God carried you, or revealed something to you. Singing something familiar may be like sitting with your mother’s arm around you as you look together at a photo album. She points to a photograph and says “Remember what a good time we were having when this picture was taken?” Music is part of that relationship we experience in worship.
We have a beautiful organ at our church but have lost the organist long ago. It sits quiet, packed away in a bottom drawer with no one getting it out and turning the pages, reviving the memories. If a one dimensional photograph inspires various emotions imagine the sounds, scale and depth of a mighty organ to inspire thoughts of a mighty God, to revive memories of a time God walked beside you or for that matter to bring us into his very presence! I suggested having an “organ Sunday” once a month even though the piano was getting “the job done”. It’s true the piano is a beautiful instrument, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to get out “the family photo album” and once again share that part of my worship relationship with God.