As we bring this series on worship to a close I wish to take time to remind us of a few of the things we have covered over the past weeks (You can find these articles in more detail on the church website or my blog, jayssermonthougts.blogspot.com):
1. Worship is not about you… It is about God.
2. Being focused on ourselves rather than God and others ruins worship.
3. Evangelism, Discipleship, Giving, and Praying all grow out of worship and then return to worship.
4. Scripture tells us how we are to worship and praise.
5. It isn’t someone else’s job to “make you worship.” Each of us has the choice to worship or not.
Finally, this week we will look at the fact that worship is a verb, an action word. It means we do something. More specifically worship is something we do, not something done to us.
I think back to Paul and Silas. As the Christian Rock group Petra told the story in “Let Everything that Has Breath,” Paul and Silas were thrown in jail
For preaching the gospel of Christ
Though in chains they praised His name singing songs in the night
I have heard other stories of people truly praising God and worshiping in the face of persecution and certain death. No matter how bad it gets we can still worship God.
While I truly feel we are blessed with pastoral leadership, great music leaders in Chris and Brett, great musicians in the band and Scott, and a great facility, none of these are necessary for us to worship. As you read this there are people worshiping under Marula trees in Africa and in the cramped space of a basement in China. With or without all the architecture and leadership we can still come together as the body of Christ, offer God our praises, and give an offering.
As Joe McKeever puts it in his article, “Our insistence on worshipful music, worship settings, and worshipful everything are all signs of our disgusting self-centeredness. It’s disgusting because I see it in myself, and do not like it.”
I leave the topic now with this final thought… Worship is life. While we need to gather together in corporate worship regularly, we also need to realize that our life is our worship. What we do daily in our goings and comings should be worship.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Romans 12:1, NLT
I’ll See You Sunday;
J
McKeever, Joe, “7Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”, http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/7-things-we-regularly-get-wrong-about-worship.html, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Worship Articles - 3
As I began writing this article I heard the song How Great Thou Art. Consider the words of this great hymn:
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power through-out the universe displayed.
Then sings by soul, my Savior God to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
What a way to begin writing an article about Worship. As we look at Scripture we see that we are called to worship. 1 Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 96:8 tell us to “Give (ascribe) to the Lord the glory due His name and bring an offering.” David wrote in Psalm 51:17 that “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart O God, you will not despise.” Throughout Scripture
we are invited, we are commanded, we are called to sing to God, offer praise to God, rejoice before God. We are to pray, offer, humble, love… All this is what worship is about.
Our worship is more than an emotional experience just as it is more than just something we show up for. Jesus tells the Samaritan Woman at the well that “Those who worship God must worship in spirit and in truth.” In other words we must worship with all that we are. Worship is more than lip service or going through some ritualistic motions. Worship is what we do in our innermost being. And, worship is something we choose to do.
Worship is a decision that we make as we enter the house of the Lord and as we walk through our daily lives. How many times have we said, “I just couldn’t worship today, the Soprano was off key.” Or, “The preacher was a little off today and it really messed up my worship.” Or, “I wish they would sing [insert your favorite worship song] so I can worship.” It is so easy to blame others for our lack of
worship. We live in a consumerist society where we feel we should be served. If we don’t get what we “pay for” it must be someone else’s fault. As Joe McKeever puts it, the truth is that “No one can eat my food for me, love my cherished ones in my place, or do my worshiping for me.”1 We are the only ones in charge of our decision to worship.
My prayer is that we will make the decision to worship, not only on Sunday but everyday of our life. In fact, I hope we will worship with our life. I’ll see you Sunday where we will continue corporately the worship we have done privately all week.
Peace,
]
1 (McKeever, Joe, “7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”,
http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/7-things-we-regularly-get-wrong-about-worship.html, May 24, 2011)
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power through-out the universe displayed.
Then sings by soul, my Savior God to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
What a way to begin writing an article about Worship. As we look at Scripture we see that we are called to worship. 1 Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 96:8 tell us to “Give (ascribe) to the Lord the glory due His name and bring an offering.” David wrote in Psalm 51:17 that “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart O God, you will not despise.” Throughout Scripture
we are invited, we are commanded, we are called to sing to God, offer praise to God, rejoice before God. We are to pray, offer, humble, love… All this is what worship is about.
Our worship is more than an emotional experience just as it is more than just something we show up for. Jesus tells the Samaritan Woman at the well that “Those who worship God must worship in spirit and in truth.” In other words we must worship with all that we are. Worship is more than lip service or going through some ritualistic motions. Worship is what we do in our innermost being. And, worship is something we choose to do.
Worship is a decision that we make as we enter the house of the Lord and as we walk through our daily lives. How many times have we said, “I just couldn’t worship today, the Soprano was off key.” Or, “The preacher was a little off today and it really messed up my worship.” Or, “I wish they would sing [insert your favorite worship song] so I can worship.” It is so easy to blame others for our lack of
worship. We live in a consumerist society where we feel we should be served. If we don’t get what we “pay for” it must be someone else’s fault. As Joe McKeever puts it, the truth is that “No one can eat my food for me, love my cherished ones in my place, or do my worshiping for me.”1 We are the only ones in charge of our decision to worship.
My prayer is that we will make the decision to worship, not only on Sunday but everyday of our life. In fact, I hope we will worship with our life. I’ll see you Sunday where we will continue corporately the worship we have done privately all week.
Peace,
]
1 (McKeever, Joe, “7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”,
http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/7-things-we-regularly-get-wrong-about-worship.html, May 24, 2011)
Worship Articles - 2
How fitting it is that we are talking about worship after I have had the recent experience of leading all aspects of worship in The Current. This week we continue our discussion of worship and come to the problem of and the importance of “self” in worship. Danish theologian Soren Kierkgaard saw this problem in the church as far
back as the mid 19th Century. As he looked at churches, he saw worship being played out as a drama of Prompters, Actors, and Audience. Usually he would see the drama played out from the perspective of God being the Prompter – that the Holy Spirit moves us into worship, the leaders (musician, pastor, liturgists, etc.) were the actors – carrying out the lines that others were to see, enjoy, and get something out of, and the congregation was the Audience – those that sit and receive what the actors perform as prompted by God.
When we look around the church these days I think we still see the same thing. This is what we have become accustomed to as worshipers. Yet, as with Kierkegaard, I think this model has the order all wrong. This model of worship tends to make worship about “me” and “my needs”. If the music is off or the preacher has a bad day then we consider it to have been a bad performance for the week and worry that we didn’t get anything out of it. When the focus becomes about self, i.e. “getting my needs met, learning something, hearing a lesson that blesses me, being lifted by
the singing – then Christ has no part in it.” Maybe that is why Joe McKeever says, “Selfcenteredness Destroys all Worship.”1
Instead of this errant model that we have become so accustomed to, Kierkegaard suggests a different model and order for the drama of worship. This model is what I like to remember as I worship and lead others in worship. Whereas we often start with God as the prompter suddenly the leader becomes the prompter. Those that lead the music, read the passages, preach the sermons are the Prompters who lead the congregation to then be the Actors in the great drama of worship. Finally we realize that all this is done for the Audience of one, God. Worship truly
becomes something of great beauty when we get self out of the way – selfishness, selfcenteredness, self-interest, self-seeking, and self-absorption.
Only when we live and breathe our worship in this way do we fully realize the power of our Audience. I pray that this week you will begin preparing to be a participant in the great drama of worship.
I’ll see you Sunday.
Jay
1. (McKeever, Joe, “7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”,
http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/7-things-we-regularly-get-wrong-about-worship.html , May 24, 2011)
back as the mid 19th Century. As he looked at churches, he saw worship being played out as a drama of Prompters, Actors, and Audience. Usually he would see the drama played out from the perspective of God being the Prompter – that the Holy Spirit moves us into worship, the leaders (musician, pastor, liturgists, etc.) were the actors – carrying out the lines that others were to see, enjoy, and get something out of, and the congregation was the Audience – those that sit and receive what the actors perform as prompted by God.
When we look around the church these days I think we still see the same thing. This is what we have become accustomed to as worshipers. Yet, as with Kierkegaard, I think this model has the order all wrong. This model of worship tends to make worship about “me” and “my needs”. If the music is off or the preacher has a bad day then we consider it to have been a bad performance for the week and worry that we didn’t get anything out of it. When the focus becomes about self, i.e. “getting my needs met, learning something, hearing a lesson that blesses me, being lifted by
the singing – then Christ has no part in it.” Maybe that is why Joe McKeever says, “Selfcenteredness Destroys all Worship.”1
Instead of this errant model that we have become so accustomed to, Kierkegaard suggests a different model and order for the drama of worship. This model is what I like to remember as I worship and lead others in worship. Whereas we often start with God as the prompter suddenly the leader becomes the prompter. Those that lead the music, read the passages, preach the sermons are the Prompters who lead the congregation to then be the Actors in the great drama of worship. Finally we realize that all this is done for the Audience of one, God. Worship truly
becomes something of great beauty when we get self out of the way – selfishness, selfcenteredness, self-interest, self-seeking, and self-absorption.
Only when we live and breathe our worship in this way do we fully realize the power of our Audience. I pray that this week you will begin preparing to be a participant in the great drama of worship.
I’ll see you Sunday.
Jay
1. (McKeever, Joe, “7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”,
http://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/7-things-we-regularly-get-wrong-about-worship.html , May 24, 2011)
Worship Articles - 1
I have so enjoyed the time we have spent here. You have all been so wonderful and welcoming to me and my family as we have begun to grow accustomed to Corsicana. The meals, gift cards, gifts, and the pounding have all been greatly appreciated. I have also enjoyed visiting with so many of you during the week and on Sunday as well as during my visits to the nursing homes. I truly look forward to the many years we have together as we continue to grow in grace and offer Christ to others.
As the pastor of The Current and your new Associate Pastor here at Corsicana First, I want to take the time during these first few newsletters to discuss two areas that are important to me. In so doing I hope you will begin to get a flavor for my ministry as we grow together. The first focus will be worship and taken in part from an article written by Joe McKeever called “7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”. In later weeks we will look at being welcoming from an interesting perspective. Finally we will look at where I think the rubber meets the road
as a church within the Corsicana community – Local Missions.
For now let us focus on worship. In Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado, Max tells us that “The purpose of worship is to change the face of the worshiper. That is exactly what happened to Christ on the mountain. Jesus’ appearance was changed: ‘His face became bright like the sun’ Matt. 17:2)”. As we spend time over the next weeks looking at worship I hope that we will keep this in mind. Worship is not about us getting something out of the service, it is about us being changed into the likeness of Christ. So often I hear people say, “Oh, I don’t go to church any more, I just don’t get anything out of it.” As if to say that the goal of coming to worship is to get something as though we were going to the store for groceries.
So, if worship is not about getting our needs met then what is it about? Worship is about the Lord, plain and simple. We are to go to church to give, not to get. When we have set the expectation within ourselves and those we invite to “get” instead of “give” then we become disappointed and leave in frustration. We all need to remember that we are there to give, first and foremost. What we are to give is glory to God, because God is worthy of our worship and glory. How often do we recite in the prayers and creeds that “…thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory”? Or sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…”
Therefore, as we prepare our hearts and lives to receive the grace offered in Holy Communion this Sunday, may we prepare our hearts not to “get something” out of the service but to instead gather to give glory to God who is worthy of all our praise.
I’ll see you Sunday,
Jay
As the pastor of The Current and your new Associate Pastor here at Corsicana First, I want to take the time during these first few newsletters to discuss two areas that are important to me. In so doing I hope you will begin to get a flavor for my ministry as we grow together. The first focus will be worship and taken in part from an article written by Joe McKeever called “7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship”. In later weeks we will look at being welcoming from an interesting perspective. Finally we will look at where I think the rubber meets the road
as a church within the Corsicana community – Local Missions.
For now let us focus on worship. In Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado, Max tells us that “The purpose of worship is to change the face of the worshiper. That is exactly what happened to Christ on the mountain. Jesus’ appearance was changed: ‘His face became bright like the sun’ Matt. 17:2)”. As we spend time over the next weeks looking at worship I hope that we will keep this in mind. Worship is not about us getting something out of the service, it is about us being changed into the likeness of Christ. So often I hear people say, “Oh, I don’t go to church any more, I just don’t get anything out of it.” As if to say that the goal of coming to worship is to get something as though we were going to the store for groceries.
So, if worship is not about getting our needs met then what is it about? Worship is about the Lord, plain and simple. We are to go to church to give, not to get. When we have set the expectation within ourselves and those we invite to “get” instead of “give” then we become disappointed and leave in frustration. We all need to remember that we are there to give, first and foremost. What we are to give is glory to God, because God is worthy of our worship and glory. How often do we recite in the prayers and creeds that “…thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory”? Or sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…”
Therefore, as we prepare our hearts and lives to receive the grace offered in Holy Communion this Sunday, may we prepare our hearts not to “get something” out of the service but to instead gather to give glory to God who is worthy of all our praise.
I’ll see you Sunday,
Jay
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