Setting the Stage.
This week, we begin to examine worship and the various forms it can assume.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines worship first as, “to honor or show reverence for a divine being or supernatural power.” This definition applies when we intentionally spend time with God (or any other deity the worshiping person is addressing); praying, attending Bible Study, attending a worship service, or just sitting under a tree communing with Him.
The dictionary also provides a second, more mundane definition: “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” Here our tendency to attribute excessive affection for or attention on more “worldly” items and concerns would apply. Using this definition, we routinely “worship” things like power, money, pride, fame, or the adoration of other people. Unfortunately, all too often this second definition applies to the bulk of our worship activity. Many of us spend much more time on Facebook, obsessing over the stock market, or reading up on the latest Royal gossip than we do in prayer, reading the Bible, or in a church service.
This week we begin to focus on the worship of God, and the many different forms such worship can take.
Our current state.
In a specifically Christian context, the definition of worship can also be described as the act of spending time with God. Or to put it another way, to be in intentional communion with Him. Our urge to make contact with Him is as old as mankind itself. Adam and Eve were in continuous communion with God before their Fall. Before that tragic event, there was no separation between God, His wishes for Man, and Man’s wishes regarding God’s will for him. Man saw no alternative way to be, and so lived continually in “worship” of (or communion with) God.
Then Eve met the serpent, and everything changed. [Genesis 3:1] It is so often true that most of us don’t realize how valuable something is until we’ve lost it. Such was the case when Adam and Eve realized that their relationship with their Creator, which had heretofore been effortless and automatic, was now difficult and even impossible. [Genesis 3:10]
From the time of our expulsion from the Garden, mankind has been on a quest to return to the state of grace and continuous communion with God that we once enjoyed. The longing for a reunion with God is (in my opinion) a primal urge of our existence. All our obsessive focus on things other than Him (see above) are unconscious and misplaced responses to that urge. For if we are frustrated in our desire for God, we perversely turn elsewhere to try to satisfy this need.
Role of Worship.
Jesus came and sacrificed Himself to allow us to return to complete communion with God, and His Gift to us did as it intended. [Titus 2:14] We now have the choice to accept our reconciliation, and the eternal life that follows. But we remain flawed humans, and very few of us are able to take full advantage of Jesus’ Gift during our lifetimes. Most of us will have to wait until our death to fully realize the reconciliation that Christ has made possible.
That does not mean, however, that we should wait until our death to attempt at least some form of reconciliation and communion. [Romans 5:8] For to the degree we can bring ourselves to accept it, communion with God (imperfect though it may be) IS possible, even during our sin-filled lifetimes.
The means by which we can attain a relationship and communion with God is through worship. That is the primary role of worship. Worship (in all its forms) places us in a suitable mental and spiritual state in which we can perceive and understand Him and His messages for us. [John 4:23] Via worship, we can again reclaim at least some measure of our rightful place in His Creation, that of Children of God.
Forms of Worship.
Despite many people’s conceptions, worship is not relegated to Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m., or even to structures dedicated to observance of worship ceremonies. There are many legitimate forms of worship, and within each form, there are innumerable categories. For the purposes of this blog, I’ve identified 8 “forms” of worship. The list below is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive. I’m confident that many readers of this blog could come up with other legitimate forms or descriptions. But for now, let’s look at these forms of worship:
- Individual worship
- Corporate worship
- Worship through Prayer
- Worship through Study
- Worship through Song
- Structured Worship Experiences
- Unstructured Worship Experiences
- Work and Service
Individual Worship.
As I use “Individual” and “Corporate,” I’m referring to whether the worshiper is physically alone during their worship (i.e. Individual) or participating in a worship experience as a part of a group (i.e. Corporate).
All forms of worship are fundamentally individual in nature. That’s because any relationship with God is between the individual and Him. One’s relationship with God is the most intimate relationship any of us will ever have. No one else is involved in the relationship. As close as we may be to another person (spouse, parents, siblings, friends, etc.) we can never be “in” them or they “in” us the way God is. We can never understand them, nor they us as God does. So, regardless of the circumstances or surroundings where the worship occurs, each person’s worship experience is always going to be profoundly personal and exclusive between himself/herself and God.
There are no forms of worship that cannot be done both Individually and Corporately. Some circumstances may help the form of worship (Individual or Corporate) to be more impactful or meaningful, but since worship is fundamentally a personal experience, a worship experience may be enjoyed whether alone or in the presence of others.
That being said, there are times when Individual worship is more appropriate and/or effective. Quiet prayer time or time to read and study the Bible can bring unique insights and understandings that may be missed during Corporate or group worship.
The song “I come to the garden alone…” (C. Austin Miles, 1913) captures beautifully the benefits and the joys of individual reflection and personal time spent alone with God.
“I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
Refrain: And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
I’d stay in the garden with Him
Tho’ the night around me be falling;
But He bids me go; thro’ the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.”
Jesus spent worship time alone. His forty days in the wilderness [Matthew 4:1-2] and his prayerful exhortations in the garden at Gethsemane [Matthew 26:36-38] bookend His practice of worshiping and communing with God when alone. And if Jesus felt the need for some personal time with God, it’s a sure bet that we could use some too. Undistracted focus and patient listening are sometimes the very best ways to reach God, and to allow Him to reach us. Individual worship is important to us and for us, and I’m convinced that each of us would benefit greatly from an individual worship regimen. [James 4:8]
Corporate Worship.
As personal as Individual worship is, we cannot escape the fact that we are also fundamentally social creatures. God did not make us to be alone. He made us to be a part of a “whole” (or “group”). And whether that whole/group is defined as a marriage, a family, a study class, a church congregation, or even a sports team, we all are at our best when we are functioning as part of a group that includes other people. [see Matthew 18:20 above]
God tried making only Adam and wasn’t satisfied with the result. [Genesis 2:18-25] He could tell that Adam was incomplete. That’s why He created Eve, so that Adam and Eve together could be part of a “whole” (and because it was evident that Adam needed more supervision than God was willing to provide). Adam and Eve were a “team” and we still function best when we’re part of a team (or teams) today.
(Please excuse my poor attempt at humor. My wife and I have been married for nearly 50 years, and I’m reminded daily of just how important her fellowship and guidance are to me.)
The point is that just as there are times when we need Individual worship there are times when we need Corporate (or group) worship. We draw support, strength, and greater understanding from one another. Shared experiences can be more impactful, richer, more intense and occasionally more memorable than those we create when we are alone.
We draw “energy” from those around us and there is comfort in knowing that others are sharing our thoughts and feelings. Knowing that we are not alone in our worship can provide comfort and ease pain. And feeling the closeness of others can make it easier to feel close to God. Since we are all God’s Children, we can frequently see His presence reflected in the presence of others.
Jesus frequently participated in group worship. He read at local synagogues. [Luke 4:16] He preached to multitudes [Matthew 14:21 5:1]. And he even taught at the Temple during the last days of His life [Matthew 21:12-17]. As no one before or since, Jesus understood the power of a good group worship experience. He was so successful in attracting numbers to His services (preaching sessions), that the Sanhedrin became concerned over His popularity, and that was one of the reasons that they were so afraid of Him. [John 11:47-48]
As humans, we need other people. And worshiping in a group setting is one of the most effective remedies for this need.
The size of the group is not important. We can have moving and impactful worship experiences in groups of three or four, and we can have wonderful worship experiences among hundreds (or even thousands) of others. The great evangelist Billy Graham would attract thousands to his worship services. He also understood the power of corporate worship and used that power to bring thousands of souls to Christ during his career.
Where the corporate service takes place is unimportant. Today, Christians are gathering in vacant bars in urban settings. They are meeting in small worship groups in peoples’ homes. They are attending traditional and non-traditional worship services at churches of all sizes. And, they are even worshiping with thousands of others in venues separated by miles but connected by technology.
Final Thoughts.
Christ doesn’t care where or how we worship. He cares that we worship. For it is only through worship that we can be drawn closer to our God, perceive His will for us, and act on that perceptions to fulfill His will for us.
We are His Word to the world, and it is His wish that we share it with others. Worship is one of the primary means we have to fulfill that obligation. So, pick a form of worship. Pick a venue. Worship as an Individual or in the company of others. But Worship!
I leave you this week with the following …
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
God’s Blessings on You All,
Richard
May 10,2019
P.S. Next week’s post will continue our exploration of the types of worship.
RAC
