What is Worship?

Our God is the Great Initiator. In his dealings with Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, Job, and virtually every other biblical figure, God appears to them. And when He does, the human response is worship. Worship is our response to God – a God who has revealed Himself and taken the initiative in a covenant love relationship with us.

As a response our worship is first and foremost for God. It is not predominantly for us, neither is it to be our main means of evangelism. Worship is not primarily self-centered or outreach-centered, it is God-directed – an offering to Him. And there is acceptable worship and unacceptable worship: Cain vs. Abel (Gen. 4:4-5); Saul vs. David (I Sam. 13:9; II Sam. 24:24); Barnabas vs. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 4:36-5:11). Proper worship involves authenticity and obedience to God's word, bringing God our very best, for He alone is worthy. We also endeavor to make our language in worship comprehensible all in order to draw people closer to God.

In many people's minds, worship and music are the same thing. But worship entails far more than music. Worship is multifaceted and involves many settings: private worship, family worship, informal group worship and formal group worship. It is to be the all-encompassing lifestyle of the believer, as Paul instructs us: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual worship.” (Rom. 12:1) Activities in Spirit-led worship include silence, confession, praise, lament, prayer, declaration of God's word (preaching and teaching); proclamation of the gospel, acts of service, celebration of the sacraments (most notably, communion), giving gifts, and vocal and instrumental music making. All of these are offerings to God.

What is the correct way to view music in the church?

Music is an act of worship – one among many offerings we bring to God. And like all offerings, it needs to be authentic and excellent (i.e., bringing God the best we can in the context of who we are). There are four possible options for music in the church: good performance of good music; bad performance of good music; good performance of bad music; and bad performance of bad music. Only the first is acceptable! We are not referring to appropriate and inappropriate styles of music, but rather musical quality or lack thereof. How can we make such value judgments? Our music should mirror God's creative processes, because we are created in His image. God's creation is known by its elements of inspiration, beauty, unity, and intricacy; our artistic endeavors should aspire to these same characteristics.

In the Old Testament musicians were required to be Levites and were appointed to study and prepare music for worship (I Chron. 6:31-32; 15:16). They were held to a high standard of excellence, and it was their full-time occupation. Perhaps it is little wonder that the music in so many of our churches is less than adequate – we generally get what we pay for! In ancient Israel, it was as priestly a calling to be a church musician as it was to be handling the sacrifices. Although in New Testament times we are all priests as believers in Christ, congregations should value music making almost as much as they do the preaching of God's word, as both are central to our worship.

Examples of music in the New Testament show that music was used in worship, and often took the shape of prophetic utterances inspired by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:46-55; 1:68-79; 2:29-32; Rev. 5:9, 12). At other times it was used as part of a Jewish liturgy (Mt. 26:30), or to impart correct doctrine (Phil. 2:6-11; I Tim. 3:16; II Tim. 2:11-13). In the New Testament we also see music used as a means of mutual encouragement (Acts 16:25; Col. 3:16; James 5:13).

Scripture teaches that emotionalism and worship are not the same thing; worship may involve emotional ecstasy, but the mind must remain active. Paul instructs the people that in worship (and specifically in music making), both the mind and the spirit are to be engaged: “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” (I Cor. 14:15) “All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.” (I Cor. 14:26) Paul's instruction echoes Jesus' teaching to the Samaritan woman that those who worship God must do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). When our worship is spirit only, we run the risk of emotionalism and mindlessness; when our worship is mind only, the Holy Spirit's power and fervency may be absent.

There is no single Christian musical style. God loves endless variety, and our music making in worship should reflect this. The image of Pentecost – praise in many tongues ordained by the Spirit, and the picture of praise in heaven from every tribe and tongue – point to the fact that our God is, as Harold Best calls him, “the God of the Plethora.”

The following are some practical implications of and guidelines flowing from this brief philosophy:

• We must strive to make our worship in general, and our music specifically, as authentic and excellent as possible. This is because God deserves our best. We should offer God the first fruits at all times! We are a gifted and educated congregation that is capable of such excellence.

• Since worship is for God and our music is an offering to Him, no style or type of music should ever become a tool for worship or seen as a prerequisite for worship. All too often, either classical or contemporary music are used as a necessary “fix” by some Christians before worship can begin, This attitude and practice is divisive, borders on idolatry, and is not supported by Scripture. Christians become far more tolerant of various styles of music when they view music making in the church as an offering being given to the Lord rather than an item for selfish personal edification or entertainment.

• We should celebrate our musical diversity, remembering that God loves variety – both classical and contemporary, simple and complex, old and new. And we should seek out and enlist those in our midst with the very best musical talent to use their gifts for our edification and for God's glory, especially in the Sunday morning worship services.

• We should remember that the context of worship is important, and that music suitable for one context may not be suitable for another. One does not typically wear shorts to a wedding, nor does one typically wear a tuxedo to the beach. There are appropriate places and times for different types of music, and it is the job of trained musicians and church leaders to know those appropriate times and places. Generally, the very best and most formal music should be offered on Sunday mornings.

• Our church should avoid commercialism in music making. The congregation should always be encouraged to sing, because we are repeatedly exhorted to do this in Scripture (Ps. 147:1). Soloists should perform humbly yet excellently, and the congregation should offer their listening itself as an act of worship.

• No one in our congregation must allow worship, music, or personal preference to be a source of division in the church. God has created us as unique individuals, and (as we read in I Cor. 12) in the Body of Christ “I am needed,” and “I need others.”

Helpful texts:

Harold Best: Music Through the Eyes of Faith (Harper Collins)

Marva Dawn: How Shall We Worship? (Tyndale House)

Gary Thomas: Sacred Pathways: Ways to Worship (Zondervan)