Worship

I did a google image search on "Worship" this morning, (give it a try some time) - I was curious. What were the results? I found several commonalities in the images returned: raised hands, crowds, lights, fog, bands. Are we safe to say, in a general sense, that these search results characterize the modern mindset of what worship is? But what about you? If you were to put a definition to worship, a short, very high-level summation of what you believe worship is, what would your verbal picture look like? How would you elucidate in a sentence or two, the essence of worship?

It would be wise to approach this task with caution and consideration, and to avoid the pitfall of defining such a holy act subjectively. To form a definition based on what we might like or what we feel worship is lacks the objectivity and accuracy needed when defining this important aspect of every believer's life. The clearest and most accurate definition we can form will come from the safety of Scripture and what it has to say about worship. The psalms are a good place to start. Psalm 42 is one scripture that brings out a depth of meaning and targets the essence of man worshipping God -

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. ¹

From this psalm we can see worship as a response: man's heart responding to God's nearness. Think of a waterfall as the relationship between two bodies of water. The source, or body of water from above, feeds the body of water below, the recipient, supplying it from above. Deep is calling out to deep at the sound of that waterfall.

Deborah, prophet and judge of Israel during the time of Judges, understood response to God's nearness. Her response to God was in song. God had given her and Barak a victory over Israel's enemy, the Canaanites. After twenty years of oppression from one of the kings of Canaan, Barak, leader of the army, accompanied by Deborah, rose up against the Canaanites and saw the victory of the Lord over their enemy. ³ A response of praise in song was appropriate. And so it is with us, given all that the Lord has done in our lives.

We praise God for what he has done and worship him for who he is,

for what he does flows out of who he is.

The Jordan river mentioned in this psalm was fed principally by Mount Hermon. Along this river, there would have been waterfalls, a visual the writer of this psalm expands by using waves and breakers to describe the love that he felt immersed in. While waves and breakers may seem to carry a negative connotation, looking at the context of this passage we instead see hope. The psalmist here is remembering God's nearness to encourage himself.

What you might find interesting, and what might cause you to think a little deeper, is the fact that Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, has three peaks - three peaks of almost equal height, three peaks that are equidistant from one another. I won't try to draw any obvious connotation here, but I'll just say, think Trinity. Think God's presence.

So, now I'll submit my summary definition of worship to you for your review and consideration,

Worship is when the deep of God calls out to the deep of us and we respond.

That response is the sound of worship.

Music indeed gives a powerful voice to that spiritual interaction, to that deep-to-deep relationship and response. But so do other things such as repentance, obedience, gratitude, tears, creativity, and yes, the raising of hands. And there are many other expressions. God has given us so many outlets to express our worship of him to him, that none of us are exempt from the great and glorious heavenly choir that gives God his due worship. May our lives be lived in sincerity and truth bringing to God a sincere worship from the heart.

For worship is a matter of the heart, and the heart is something only God is fully tuned into. We may try to measure or define what a person worshipping looks like, but that exercise is wisely left in the hands of God alone,

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ²

The Lord alone sees the heart; we often feast our eyes on what we see. The presence of a worshipful response is best left judged by the Lord, not us.

There is always a danger in giving a short definition of something as deep and spiritual as worship; but there is also a benefit to eliciting conversation about a topic that is so relevant to today's church. In my opinion, worship may be one of the most misunderstood and controversial matters in the body of Christ today. The subject of worship warrants serious conversation for it is one of the ways that we honor God and represent him, helping to spread his glory on this earth.

Is that not what we've been called to?

References

¹ Psalms 42:6-8

² 1 Samuel 16:7

³ Judges 4,5