Here is the issue: we have often elevated worship music to the status of worship....and it is not. It is part of worship, and an important part at that, and I love sining songs to God, old or new. That being said we to often see singing worship as the totallity of worship, and that is to make a fatal mistake.
I'd argue that unless we worship God with all of our lives (Rom 11, 1 Cor 10:31) Monday to Sunday in whatever we do, we are not really worshipping him, no matter how intese or spirtual our sunday singing may have felt. Of course that brings the obvious point that it really does not make a difference how we feel, it really matters what God feels about our worship.
Which makes me wonder again: if we sing songs repeatedly to worship God becuase it feels good has it then ceased to be worship and instead become the idolatry of self?
2 comments:
I think that worship music contribute to our total and personal relationship with God. Be it right or wrong, singing worship songs probably contributes quite dramatically to turning our "personal ships" bows back into the wind. Be it right or wrong, having the opportunity to sing praise (more likely on the Sunday at church) is what allows us to look introspectively on the week that was and more importantly reflecting on matters that have impacted on us in one way or another.
Perhaps at a theological level it probably does come to idolatry or self, but I think that at times we should try to live our spiritual lives at a simpler level. I certainly comment at an entry-level but I think that most of us should focus on what is important; focusing on an ongoing and daily relationship with God whether it is singing, reading, leading by example or following, standing in the valley looking at the beauty that surrounds us or whatever.
S
I agree. I get quite frustrated when people say things like "praise and worship will be followed by the sermon". They don't stop to think about what they are saying. It's a complete misunderstanding of the all encompassing nature of worship.
I was organizing a joint youth evening at a friend's Church. He planned a 30min "Worship Session", I asked if we could cut it down to 15mins, so that we could have reasonable time for prayer afterwards. He said that 15mins is not enough time for them to "get into worship" ,and besides that, most of his youth don't pray as they are not at that level spiritually.
My thoughts are as you say Brent, if we are singing to "get into worship", i.e. get some sort of subjective "feeling" out of it. It begs the question: Why are we singing? To praise God, or to make ourselves feel good?
And more than that, true worship can only be offered to God by true Christians. If youth do not pray, then they cannot have a real relationship with Jesus. If they don't have that, they certainly are not going to be found worshipping God in song! The same principle applies to all of worship. If we are not genuine believers who "offer our bodies as living sacrifices" on a daily basis, essentially singing songs means absolutely zip!
Which is why it always puzzles me that people include singing/"worship" in an evangelistic meeting where the majority or the target audience are not Christian.
L
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