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 

creates 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.