I believe your point about the worshippers liking the songs and other elements of worship is the core issue. Have you noticed that when a member invites a friend to church, that member will often ask something (or think it) like, "Did you like the service?" We even ask ourselves that question. I think it is one of the strongest criteria by which we "plan" our worship services, i.e. are "we" and our visitors going to like it? The real question ought to be, "Did God like your songs? Your worship?" Another question I've used is, "Today, did you worship God in spirit and truth?" I never put the question to a human, "Did you like the worship? I believe that question, in most cases, should be reserved for God.
When we come to worship with the desire to please God and do worship so that God likes it, it turns out that we "like" it too!
Having said all this, I must also admit, there is no inherent virtue in us not liking the worship!
I value what you're saying. I think you have good insights into this subject and appreciate your reflections; so thank you for sharing them.
I too feel a huge lift when the congregation really gets into the music, singing strongly, jubilantly, etc. But what I'm saying is, if I am seeking my joy it will always tend to be just about that . . . how am I feeling in worship. Worship becomes something for me and about me! This is wrong. Worship is for God, not for us. It is about what brings pleasure, honor, and satisfaction to God, not necessarily to us. It is a capacity God has given us to express our love and His greatness back to him.
Having said that, I confess to the discovery of a great truth! After 36 years of marriage, I have found my deepest needs being met, and my most satisfying joys being realized, not in seeking to meet my needs or pursue my joys, but rather in seeking to know the needs of my wife and practicing the service of her needs and joys. It has been interesting to me and deeply satisfying and joyous to me personally when I serve her, rather than myself. I think I experience the same thing in worship, i.e. when, in worship, I seek to honor and serve the desire and pleasure of God rather than of me, then God also meets with me in worship in ways that are truly pleasurable and life-changing for me. But when I seek to use worship as a means for my own pleasure I adulterate the worship. In such a case, no matter how fervently I sing or bow or confess, "worship" does not connect my soul to God's. God may still be honored by my commitment to worship duty, but I don't feel God's presence, nor the joy connecting with God in the worshipping community.
So, in short I begin with this maxim: Worship is for and about God, not me. But neverthless, God seems to enjoy pouring back on me some of the joy he must experience as He dwells in the midst of His worshipping people. And that is deeply satisfying to me as well.
AMEN. Well written Neil. This is "Basic Christianity." But it is also "Intermediate Christianity," and it is "Advanced Christianity." That is, we must always be totally reliant on the Holy Spirit to live a life honoring to God whether we are a new babe in Christ or a maturing elder. We do pick up skills and understanding along the journey, but unfortunately when we do, we tend to move out on our own before prayer and surrender to God, thinking something like, "we know what to do." We might be right. We might in fact approach our task exactly as the Holy Spirit would have us approach the task. But with one critical missing element--the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Why? Simply because we did not pause long enough to submit ourselves and the task to Christ in prayer before we got started on it.
Posted in: “Contemporary Worship” Doesn’t Have to Be Empty of History
Hi John,
I believe your point about the worshippers liking the songs and other elements of worship is the core issue. Have you noticed that when a member invites a friend to church, that member will often ask something (or think it) like, "Did you like the service?" We even ask ourselves that question. I think it is one of the strongest criteria by which we "plan" our worship services, i.e. are "we" and our visitors going to like it? The real question ought to be, "Did God like your songs? Your worship?" Another question I've used is, "Today, did you worship God in spirit and truth?" I never put the question to a human, "Did you like the worship? I believe that question, in most cases, should be reserved for God.
When we come to worship with the desire to please God and do worship so that God likes it, it turns out that we "like" it too!
Having said all this, I must also admit, there is no inherent virtue in us not liking the worship!
Posted in: “Contemporary Worship” Doesn’t Have to Be Empty of History
Hi John.
I value what you're saying. I think you have good insights into this subject and appreciate your reflections; so thank you for sharing them.
I too feel a huge lift when the congregation really gets into the music, singing strongly, jubilantly, etc. But what I'm saying is, if I am seeking my joy it will always tend to be just about that . . . how am I feeling in worship. Worship becomes something for me and about me! This is wrong. Worship is for God, not for us. It is about what brings pleasure, honor, and satisfaction to God, not necessarily to us. It is a capacity God has given us to express our love and His greatness back to him.
Having said that, I confess to the discovery of a great truth! After 36 years of marriage, I have found my deepest needs being met, and my most satisfying joys being realized, not in seeking to meet my needs or pursue my joys, but rather in seeking to know the needs of my wife and practicing the service of her needs and joys. It has been interesting to me and deeply satisfying and joyous to me personally when I serve her, rather than myself. I think I experience the same thing in worship, i.e. when, in worship, I seek to honor and serve the desire and pleasure of God rather than of me, then God also meets with me in worship in ways that are truly pleasurable and life-changing for me. But when I seek to use worship as a means for my own pleasure I adulterate the worship. In such a case, no matter how fervently I sing or bow or confess, "worship" does not connect my soul to God's. God may still be honored by my commitment to worship duty, but I don't feel God's presence, nor the joy connecting with God in the worshipping community.
So, in short I begin with this maxim: Worship is for and about God, not me. But neverthless, God seems to enjoy pouring back on me some of the joy he must experience as He dwells in the midst of His worshipping people. And that is deeply satisfying to me as well.
Posted in: Waiting for the Spirit
AMEN. Well written Neil. This is "Basic Christianity." But it is also "Intermediate Christianity," and it is "Advanced Christianity." That is, we must always be totally reliant on the Holy Spirit to live a life honoring to God whether we are a new babe in Christ or a maturing elder. We do pick up skills and understanding along the journey, but unfortunately when we do, we tend to move out on our own before prayer and surrender to God, thinking something like, "we know what to do." We might be right. We might in fact approach our task exactly as the Holy Spirit would have us approach the task. But with one critical missing element--the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Why? Simply because we did not pause long enough to submit ourselves and the task to Christ in prayer before we got started on it.