December 10, 2019 – Click here to listen
So yesterday one of my twin granddaughters sent me a list of questions for a school project she is doing. Don’t be shocked because the questions refer to worshipping God. She goes to a Christian school. The e-mail she sent is as follows:
Hello Papaw! I am doing a Bible project on worship and I wanted to ask you some questions! Also, could you possible video yourself answering the questions and send it to me?
Please give me your definition of worship
When you go to church do you call it “church” or “Worship”?
How important is worship to your faith?
Do you stand or sit when you worship?
What is your favorite worship spot?
How important is prayer to your worship?
How regularly do your attend a worship service?
Do you prefer contemporary or traditional style of worship?
Do you always sing the words of a worship song or do you ever think about them when others are singing?
How often do you regularly pray for church leaders?
Thank you! Love you
Well of course I cannot refuse, and I will faithfully attempt to answer the questions. So, as I thought about it this morning, I often hear the term worship used as a substitute for praise or singing in church and this project seemed to fall in line with that. Church is an excellent place to worship and praise music is an important part of that, but “worship” entails more than just praise music.
I’ve heard pastors say, “let’s worship,” and then the music program would begin. Actually, I think of worship as a combination of praise, which is singing, clapping, and lifting one’s hands to reading of Scripture and pastors offering commentary as well as reverent prayer focusing on thankfulness. It is a joyful experience to me. Churches do range from being borderline apathetic to “charismaniacs” as a friend of mind refers to them. We must understand that not everyone worships God in exactly the same way: For some, raising hands or dancing in the aisles may legitimately seem wrong to them, whereas for another to not raise their hands and dance in song is wrong—one cannot rebuke the other, for we cannot know what is in another’s heart.
To those who sit stoically unsmiling, I admit I wonder why they don’t raise their hands, dance for joy and/or shout to the Lord? These are not modern ideas, introduced from a secular society into God’s church—as many have long-suggested. Rather, we see repeatedly throughout the Old Testament God’s chosen people responding to God’s presence with unrefined and unconstrained joy.
The term worship is often used in the Bible and to me the essence of it is the expression of total reverence, love, respect, and downright adoration for God. We can worship God anywhere at any time. The first thing Abraham did when he arrived at a new location was to build an alter and worship God. The Hebrew word for worship in the Bible is “Shaha” which also means “to bow low or to prostrate oneself”. We don’t see much happening in that realm these days, but it was commonplace in early Christianity. I often get down on my knees to pray and indeed have laid down flat on my face as I came to God offering my everything.
I more than most know what God did to pay the price for my black sins and I APPRECIATE it. I love him and though family is extremely important to me, unashamedly He is the number one focus of my life.
As for church I like contemporary services better than what is referred to as traditional. It just seems the praise portion is more uplifting, albeit I do like to hear that old-time gospel music, especially when sung by black choirs. As for the preaching I like someone who is energetic and preaches the word as it appears in the Bible and not some clever twisting of it to make those in the congregation feel good about their sins.
I love going to church but let me tell you I’ve had some of my best worship services out on the ocean in my boat or sitting in a deer stand. Worship is all about God and nothing about me. I am so grateful to Him sometimes I feel as though I could just explode. I’m sincere in loving Him and want to make Him happy. I’m devastated when I let Him down, happiest when I make Him smile.
Psalm 150:1
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!”