Defining Worship For One
What is real worship? How do we know what is genuine? It seems like we often get ourselves too wrapped up in trying to create worship that we in many ways destroy it. I have often struggled with keeping a positive outlook on church worship. I find that I am more often turned off to what is being done instead of really connecting with God in an intimate way. For me, being in music is often where I feel closest to God. As a musician, when I am going to be involved in "leading" the congregation in worship I try to get my mind to the right place it needs to be. I don't concentrate on the congregation, nor do I concentrate on myself and my inadequacies. I try to make it a time that is only between myself and God. It seems like we have tried to define what "good" worship is, but how can any definition fit the word? Worship can mean many different things to many different people. Like I said before I find music to be the place where I feel like I really make an intimate connection with God. Is that surprising? Not really because God has given me a gift, and an ability in music that I don't have in most other things. I will often sit alone in my room with my guitar, and I will feel closer to God in this place than in a large congregation. I don't have to be playing anything that has been written directly as a praise song, and often I just sit and play, but in that moment I know that I am connected to God. It is the most pure form of worship I have experienced. Like it is said, it is who you are in the dark, only before God, that really defines your character. This saying is also very true in regards to worship. Worship seems to have become more about the stage and show than about God. We are supposed to approach worship with a humble spirit and mind because we are coming to lay down our hearts to God. I wish that we could for one time just turn all the lights off, make the area completely void of any light, and then begin to worship. Have no elevated few leading the masses, but make it so you feel that it is you and God. People have often criticized me of not being animated enough when on stage playing, but it is not by accident that I am like that when I am on stage. This time of worship is not about me and my guitar, nor about playing to the crowd like in a concert. What I intend when on stage is to ignore the fact that there are hundreds of people standing in front of me. I stand there in physical form, but my heart goes to another place. I think of God, and I pray. I concentrate on the words, and I give them up to the Lord as a prayer. I stand humbly before God as one person because worship is not about standing in a crowd. I lay my abilities, my selfish ambitions, and my heart at the foot of His throne. "Stand with us now and worship." Is there any term more used in worship? Why do you have to stand to worship? Why do you have to sing to worship? It is not about the congregation, it is about you and God! If you don't feel like singing is the way that you most intimately worship then don't sing! If worship for you is sitting still with your eyes closed meditating on words of a song, or scripture from the Bible then do that. If you know that standing and singing is not going to bring you any closer to God then do whatever it is that does bring you closer to God. Worship should be a celebration of God, and the incredible things that He does for us. If you do not feel like you are in a place of celebration when you look at the flashing lights, and have the rhythm pounding in your ears then tune them out, and find that place. Find that sacred ground where you can approach the Lord. That place where you feel like you must fall to your face in shame of being in such a righteous presence. The place where it is you and you alone in the presence of the Almighty.
posted by Eric @ 8:29 AM
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