Friday, October 24, 2014

The Heart of Worship Renewal

What is worship all about?  

I have found that in America there are two different schools of thought concerning how to answer this question.

The first group answers that worship is a "service unto God."  The object and goal of worship is to honor and glorify God.  As a result, worship is God-focused.  It is not about the worshipper, but the God who is worshipped.

The second group answers that worship is a "time to lay your burdens down and be encouraged."  The object and goal of worship for these folks is to provide excitement, emotional release, and a feeling of God's presence.  Here worship is about the worshipper having their needs met.

Anyone who has eyes to see can and should understand that I just set up a straw man argument.  I presented two views of worship that are easily torn down because both are not complete.  Who actually holds these views and articulates them this way?  The answer is virtually no one.  Yet, ... the proof of what we believe is not merely what we say, but also what we do.  While virtually no one would articulate either of these two extremes about worship, many churches and individuals act like they believe it!

How about a new definition?  One that provides a balance?

Worship is a time for individuals and the community of faith to meet with God.

Worship must be God-focused.  It also must be done in such a way to encourage and promote active engagement with God's presence.

Is such worship possible?  Of course it is!  It is also necessary for revival and renewal both individually and corporately.  Notice the following quote from a contemporary writer.

"This extra "glimpse of God" is what most of us crave.  With any experience of God's nearness comes all the blessings of God's divine nature: renewal, power to change, deliverance, comfort, joy, and peace.  It is no coincidence that these are the very things for which the world is longing and searching."
Sally Morgenthaler's Worship Evangelism: 
Inviting Unbelievers into the presence of God, 97-98

Are you in a worshipping community where you enter into the presence of God each week?  I find it interesting that many of us are not worshipping in such a place.  Instead, we rationalize that we are "not one of those worship junkies" who insist on feeling God's presence.  We are more mature.

I would challenge that if we do not find God's presence in worship and we are content with it, then we might not be as mature as we think!  

Why would I say such a thing?  Notice how scripture affirms a biblical desire for God.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Ps. 42:1-2

In other words, as people we were made to enjoy the presence of God.  When you get a taste of God's presence in Christ, it is addicting.  It is satisfying.  It is life.  Who does not want more life, peace, joy and love deep within their soul?

One of the greatest attractions of worship is when a community create a place where individuals can meet with God.  I know we can meet with God anywhere, but the time and space of worship together in community is often where we experience God's presence in a deep and real sense.  I believe such an experience can be felt and experienced even by non-believers.

My actual experience verifies this claim.  At my former church, Grace Bible Church in Maine, I often heard from visitors that they "felt" the presence of God while with us in worship.  This observation was made from believers and unbelievers,  first-time visitors and long-time attenders, and everything in between.  We were not a "large church" by the standards of worldly judgment, but God did work through and in our worship.

I also have experienced this phenomena in many other growing churches.  In fact, I could argue that such an experience of God's presence in worship is a mark of a growing and thriving church.

So, how do we move/grow a church so this experience of God's presence is felt even by unbelievers?

This is a tricky question.  God cannot be manipulated to "show up" like magic.  Yet, I think and I have experienced several traits of churches that have worship renewal.

First, these churches pray for this experience and presence.  They also come anticipating meeting with God.  These churches are filled with people who ask that the Lord's presence be known, and they are marked by a directed prayer ministry that asks the Lord to work through and in worship.  There is also an expectation that God will move and speak.

Second, these church have people who are called and gifted to lead worship.  These folks may not be the best musicians in the church, but they love to worship.  They have all the traits above, and they ask the Lord to work through them to touch hearts.

Please notice, I said gifted and called.  How do we tell this?  These folks have an inner call to lead worship, they have external call from a group to help them lead worship, and the Lord blesses their work by showing up!

The last mark of calling is the trickiest.  Who determines this?  Does someone's best friend get to say, "The Lord blessed your leading/playing today"?  Is it only the Elder's job to determine this?  Unfortunately/fortunately churches are often full of encouraging folks.  They encourage effort as much or more than results.  Could this skew the data in determining God's blessings on their work?

Of course it can!  The real and ultimate proof is God's presence being known to believers and un-believers, long-time members and first-time visitors.  Such proof cannot be ascertained in any given Sunday, but should be measured over the course of time.

What does this mean?  Finding, developing, and encouraging worship renewal is essential for a growing church.  As individuals we can pray.  As churches we can lovingly search for and encourage those who are blessed to help lead such renewal.  Is this easy?  No.  Is it fool-proof?  No.  Yet it is essential for worship evangelism and worship renewal to take place.

I would love thoughts and opinions on this topic.  As you can see, I am working through my thoughts, so help me grow by sharing yours!

7 comments:

  1. A blog comment could (and did till this morning) stretch on into several pages—the idea of what worship entails and how to do it and what honors God and on and on has become ridiculously divisive. We idolize the small stuff and forget the whole purpose, which is, as you stated very well:

    “In other words, as people we were made to enjoy the presence of God.  When you get a taste of God's presence in Christ, it is addicting.  It is satisfying.  It is life.  Who does not want more life, peace, joy and love deep within their soul?”

    And there’s this definition of worship:
    Worship is a time for individuals and the community of faith to meet with God.

    Spot on. Seems to me that if worship doesn’t encompass the entirety of the service, it doesn’t make any sense. I think it’s time to deliberately get back to basics—we’ve got to agree on what it is we’re trying to accomplish, then we can argue technique. The other way around is what we’re suffering with now, and it’s deficient from beginning to end.

    People idolize everything, right? And two big ones are Comfort and Control. We want to be comfortable and in control, and then, God, you can show up and do Your thing. We forget “He’s not a tame lion.” For some reason parishioners seem to think they ought to be able to control every piece of what goes on—the smaller the church the greater this tendency. How about we do this?
    Pray with belief and expectation;
    Offer and keep offering a ton of grace;
    Get out of the way.

    (This coming from someone whose worship-music preferences include Gregorian chant, The Hoppers, and Handel’s Messiah sung by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields’ choir.)

    I’m in the mood to just get on with it—do what you know is right and God will honor that, or not, as He chooses. (If you don’t like the music or the volume, pray for variety .) What you’ve written seems a solid basis for establishing and growing an inviting, vibrant body of believers.

    (I’m curious about the thought process behind “worship evangelism” and “worship renewal”.)

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  2. Believers have spent way too much time fighting about their preferences. How folks have dishonored the name of Jesus by fighting over style. It would be so helpful if folks would evangelize by sharing the gospel and then emphatically stating, "Remember worship is not about you!"

    Yet, we live in a day and age of choice. We really believe we should get what we want, what we like, what we think it right. If we don't get it, we move on in search of that place that will "fulfill" our needs (read desires and wishes).

    You are correct. Only Jesus fulfills. Only His presence in our life will satisfy. The great irony is that most folks experience Jesus' presence when struggling and cry out for mercy. When they get to the end of their preference and desires and repent of their self-centered self-righteousness, then Jesus meets them.

    Perhaps all of our "worship time" should be about helping people come to this place? Exalt God's holiness and magnify our sinfulness. In the midst of it, establish that grace is found in repentance and faith. Then, we expect God to show up because such a focus honors Him.

    Such worship is evangelism. Such worship brings true renewal.

    (Boy did I want to use exclamation points!!!!!!)

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  3. The statement that jumped out when I read your thoughts was "There is also an expectation that God will move and speak."
    When we come into the presence of the Living God we must come with expectancy and anticipation. This is the attitude of true worship, the fullness of hope and promise as we commune with the "High King of Heaven". As we worship in this manner, He is exalted and we, the worshiper, experience the glory of His presence.
    The psalmist says it, almost with breathless impatience, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"
    This is the posture that enables us to hear God speak and see Him move and provides the atmosphere whereby believer and not yet believer will experience His presence.

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  4. Thanks for the comment. You are so right.

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    1. As someone from Grace Bible in Maine, I can attest to your comment that visitors (and members!) reported that they "felt" the presence of God while there in worship. Why was that the case? I would venture a guess that it has to do with the word you chose in the title for your blog… "authentic." When the awesomeness of God is recognized and proclaimed, and when our great need for Him is open and honest, we cannot be anything but amazed at His love, mercy, and grace -- and that stirs up a heart-felt worship where the felt presence of the Lord is physically and powerfully felt.

      Glad to have you blogging more again!

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    2. Hi, Linda, nice to hear from someone out at Grace Bible!

      The enemy of souls hates authentic proclamation of the word, so it's a big deal when someone faces the onslaught and preaches the word consistently anyhow. Which Pastor Greg does.

      We're glad to have him on the blog again - do let your fellow Grace folks know to come on the blog, read, say hello, and spread the word.

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  5. Planning to do just that! Kathy, I've enjoyed your comments, and I sure do agree with you that Dr. Greg preaches the word consistently in spite of any enemy onslaught!

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