What is Worship?

Worship night.

Worship team.

Worship ministry.

Perhaps you’re familiar with these terms. Perhaps they're common in your church’s language.

They’re not bad, not by any means, but more often than not, here’s what they really mean:

Music night.

Music team.

Music ministry.

The title is a little misleading because worship is way more than just music.

A Theology of Worship

In the Bible, worship is the act of devotion, loyalty, and, above all, love towards someone or something.

It isn’t always a good thing. One of the biggest reminders in the Old Testament is that it’s entirely possible to worship the wrong thing, such a worship reaps severe spiritual consequences. 

(And, if you’re Ancient Israel, some pretty severe physical consequences, too.)

There is a right worship, however, which Jesus summarizes when He quotes Moses, saying:

In other words, worship is giving yourself over to God.

This means repatterning your entire life according to the Way of Jesus - living as He would if He had your job, gender, age, and more.

Worship is, in love, making Him the template of your life.

The Scope of Worship

Clearly, this worship encompasses more than just a few songs on a Sunday.

In this light, we see life itself as the greatest form of worship.

Worship becomes more than just a Sunday activity, it becomes the very essence of how we live, defines us, and sets us apart as God’s people.

It’s also incredibly demanding. 

Worship requires our effort, attention, and, most importantly, love.

Worship also makes us more dependent on God’s grace because we certainly can’t do this on our own.

When we come to view worship through the lens of a 55-year-old music genre (whether conscious of it or not) we encounter some problems.

We’ll talk about those tomorrow.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter