Music ≠ Worship by Ted Slater on 07/23/2009 at 11:32 AM

In an effort to get my point across with a splash, I'm going to be hyperbolic:

• Singing a hymn at church is not worship.
• Playing guitar at small group is not worship.
• Humming along to a song in your car is not worship.
• Raising your hands on Sunday morning is not worship.
• What the band does on stage is not worship.

These may be expressions of worship, but the worship itself takes place at the heart level. It's my heart's response to relationship with my Creator. It's something I do "in spirit and in truth." No sound waves are involved.

Without something taking place in the heart, the hymn and guitar and song and hands and band are simply noisy gongs or clanging cymbals, signifying nothing.

When our hearts worship the Lord -- that is, when our wills are aligned with His, when we humbly concur with His judgments, when we are grateful for His lovingkindness, when we are overwhelmed with His holiness -- then we might express this worship with our bodies.

We may give money to the local church or serve at a crisis pregnancy center. We may work diligently, even when the boss is not around. We may say no to extramarital sexual activity. We may ask forgiveness, and extend forgiveness.

These are all everyday expressions what's going on in our hearts, all expressions of worship.

Or we may sing a song, we may strum a guitar, we may hum, we may raise our hands, we may rock with the band. But again, those activities are not necessarily worship: They're merely symptoms of the worship that occurs within us toward God.

* * *

So now I'm left wondering: If heart-level worship is behind all the activities of our Christian lives, if our work and our giving and our purity and our singing can be expressions of worship, why can't our attitude -- that mediator between our hearts and our actions -- sometimes look the same from activity to activity?

For example, if my God-honoring hard work is punctuated by moments of light-heartedness with co-workers, why can't an appropriate amount of light-heartedness be present when I'm with co-church attendees? Why do I have to express worship in such a "reverential" way in the church sanctuary, while I'm free to express my heart's worship in a more "conversational" or "relational" way in other areas of my life?

The next time I'm singing in church, I'll resist the urge to furrow my brow in concentration, I'll resist the urge to have a pained "I'm worshiping" look on my face, I'll resist the urge to work so hard to invoke the Spirit who is always among us.

Instead, I'll simply enjoy the music and resonate with the lyrics, worshiping my Savior in the same everyday way that I worship Him while cooking a meal for friends or doing dishes with my wife.

Music ≠ Worship by Ted Slater on 07/23/2009 at 11:32 AM

In an effort to get my point across with a splash, I'm going to be hyperbolic:

• Singing a hymn at church is not worship.
• Playing guitar at small group is not worship.
• Humming along to a song in your car is not worship.
• Raising your hands on Sunday morning is not worship.
• What the band does on stage is not worship.

These may be expressions of worship, but the worship itself takes place at the heart level. It's my heart's response to relationship with my Creator. It's something I do "in spirit and in truth." No sound waves are involved.

Without something taking place in the heart, the hymn and guitar and song and hands and band are simply noisy gongs or clanging cymbals, signifying nothing.

When our hearts worship the Lord -- that is, when our wills are aligned with His, when we humbly concur with His judgments, when we are grateful for His lovingkindness, when we are overwhelmed with His holiness -- then we might express this worship with our bodies.

We may give money to the local church or serve at a crisis pregnancy center. We may work diligently, even when the boss is not around. We may say no to extramarital sexual activity. We may ask forgiveness, and extend forgiveness.

These are all everyday expressions what's going on in our hearts, all expressions of worship.

Or we may sing a song, we may strum a guitar, we may hum, we may raise our hands, we may rock with the band. But again, those activities are not necessarily worship: They're merely symptoms of the worship that occurs within us toward God.

* * *

So now I'm left wondering: If heart-level worship is behind all the activities of our Christian lives, if our work and our giving and our purity and our singing can be expressions of worship, why can't our attitude -- that mediator between our hearts and our actions -- sometimes look the same from activity to activity?

For example, if my God-honoring hard work is punctuated by moments of light-heartedness with co-workers, why can't an appropriate amount of light-heartedness be present when I'm with co-church attendees? Why do I have to express worship in such a "reverential" way in the church sanctuary, while I'm free to express my heart's worship in a more "conversational" or "relational" way in other areas of my life?

The next time I'm singing in church, I'll resist the urge to furrow my brow in concentration, I'll resist the urge to have a pained "I'm worshiping" look on my face, I'll resist the urge to work so hard to invoke the Spirit who is always among us.

Instead, I'll simply enjoy the music and resonate with the lyrics, worshiping my Savior in the same everyday way that I worship Him while cooking a meal for friends or doing dishes with my wife.

Comments

[1. Ruth said the following at 12:40 PM on Jul 23:]

1

Yes! Thanks Ted!

[2. LDB said the following at 1:10 PM on Jul 23:]

2

LOL at "I'll resist the urge to have a pained "I'm worshiping" look on my face."

You're right ... why does worship have to look painful? Why can't we smile and laugh like we do at any other time during our day?

Great post. Makes me consider if what I do on Sundays is worship unto God or performance for the people around me.

[3. Andrew said the following at 1:43 PM on Jul 23:]

3

Ted, thanks for this! Praise and worship is the topic for my small group's next meeting on Monday. Your article may well become part of our meeting.

[4. Fisayo said the following at 2:33 PM on Jul 23:]

4

Great comment. Especially about the Spirit. I have always wondered why in church, we have to invite the Holy Spirit when He's already with us. Having said that, i think most people think there are worshipping only when they reach an emotional high. Sometimes God lets us have this but sometimes He doesnt, because worship is more than emotions. It's intentional.

[5. Dan said the following at 4:02 PM on Jul 23:]

5

I agree with this wholeheartedly. But on the same note, I think there is something special about times when the Bride of Christ comes together in song. I've seen the Holy Spirit do amazing work bringing hearts to worship and unity during times when God's people humble themselves and join together to lift God's name high. I think that's why we see the passion and "pained" looks as well as hopefully faces full of joy.

And I agree that our worship comes in the form of our lives = everything we do from the time we wake to when we sleep (I've even heard it argued that choosing to get enough sleep is one of the most spiritual things you can do). If our hearts only turn in gratitude and praise to our great God when we're singing, we may have to evaluate how we are living.

[6. Sheri said the following at 4:03 PM on Jul 23:]

6

This really doesn't seem like a great revelation to me. I smile when I sing praises to God, and I have trouble understanding those who don't...Why would you want to have a "pained, I'm worshiping" look on your face. That's just strange.

[7. Anne said the following at 4:12 PM on Jul 23:]

7

Hi Ted thanks for this it made me think. Here are a few verses that might be relevant.

Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

Psa 89:7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

[8. Jo said the following at 4:58 PM on Jul 23:]

8

Great points Ted, I agree with you.

I do think there is a difference though when we come to 'do worship' in a dedicated way with other believers, ie singing hymns in church or other similarly 'God-focused' activity.

When I'm going about my daily life in a worshipful way, God isn't at the forefront of my mind all the time, my job is, or my conversations with friends, or the book I'm reading, or whatever, yet I am still a Christian and this is reflected in my actions. Much like a married woman is not thinking of her husband 24/7, yet she is still married, and this is shown by how she behaves.

But when we come to 'do worship' we're actively concentrating on God - it's like the time that a husband and wife actually spend together - it's essential for a healthy relationship. Although the Holy Spirit is in us constantly, I think we do come into God's presence in a different way when we worship like this. And I also think there's something to be said for the reverence, and of remembering how awesome it is that we're allowed in His presence at all. Of course that's a heart thing and doesn't need to be demonstrated by an outward show.

None of that disagrees with anything you said - I don't think it means we can't be lighthearted and so on, as you said. But I think that distinction does exist... the everyday worship and the focused worship are part of the same thing, but I do think we need both - but as you say nicely in your last paragraph, I think they flow quite naturally from each other, and I don't think anything special has to be 'added' in focused worship. It's just a different way of being together with God. :)

[9. LisaMarie Goetz said the following at 6:04 PM on Jul 23:]

9

Ted,

This post rocks! I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've said!

[10. Kathryn said the following at 6:07 PM on Jul 23:]

10

Haha, this is totally my own personal hobby horse. Whenever anyone asks me along to a "worship" service/Bible study I get off into my "worship is a holistic thing, not just singing songs in church" rant.

So, while I should say that I agree with you... I've been singing this particular tune for a while, so you agree with me ;)

[11. K in NY said the following at 9:43 PM on Jul 23:]

11

I appreciate this post, as a catholic I often invite my friends of other christian traditions to come to a service with me, as well as worship at their churches when invited as well. I have gotten the questions in various forms why catholics spend so much more time on communion, personal and ritual prayer, and other rituals and not as much on worship and the sermon. My reply is it is all worship, that praying as a community and especially communion are the way that we worship God when we come together and this is the way that their ancestors as well as mine worshiped for centuries. Worship is indeed, as you say, in the heart, songs are just songs and ritual is just ritual if it is not done for the love and glory of God.

[12. Charlotte C. said the following at 3:13 AM on Jul 24:]

12

*faved

Wonderful post, Ted.

I completely agree with everything on this post.

[13. jboyd said the following at 7:47 AM on Jul 24:]

13

So about that pained "I'm worshipping" expression on one's face. Hopefully that's not one's default expression in the assembly of the saints. Mind you, if someone is distraught with life's circumstances, that seems okay to me. It's more honest than a fake smile. Similarly, if the Spirit is bringing conviction to one's heart about sin or about some truth/doctrine that we've totally neglected or viewed the wrong way, there is usually a bit of pain in processing that. There is godly sorrow/pain that accompanies repentance.

Dan, getting enough sleep sounds like a good discipline. I know the Lord loves to speak to His children through dreams, so setting sufficient time for sleep can definitely facilitate Him doing that. But besides the point, it sets us up well for another full day of worship.

About inviting the Holy Spirit, I agree, He's already there. He's with us at all times. But I believe He enjoys being welcomed and honoured before the saints. Perhaps think of it as inviting forward a particularly honoured guest. The guest is already in your midst, but it's appropriate to honour him and recognize his role in what is about to unfold.

Has anyone ever considered dancing as an expression of worship? I'm not talking about jumping up and down kind of freestyle, as much as I enjoy that sometimes. Nor am I talking about just two or three skilled dancers performing an interpretive dance. I mean something akin to square dancing or line dancing, where music is played and the Body of Christ dances in sync to some simple but fun and lively dance moves. Literally, dancing before the Lord. I know it seems a little archaic (ie. like medieval renaissance), but I think it would be loads of fun and an interesting way to celebrate before the Lord.

[14. Rachael said the following at 5:55 PM on Jul 24:]

14

If a key were reverence and a focus off ourselves, I think it would be neat if the team leading music was limited to people who had instruments or the person who was going to be speaking up front anyway, if it worked out practically. I think I've been to a church where the person singing up front was simply a pastor or staff person or something. But I suppose that would be hard in cases of contemporary music or new songs (if there was no one to lead). And maybe it's a really worshipful time for the person who leads the singing...

And if worship were treated more informally, as if it were any other kind of action, maybe it wouldn't matter whether people were standing up in prominent positions or not.

********************

On another note, I think 'service' can be kind-of like this. I used to be really into 'service', but I think at least later in my life I understood that the established ministry things were not the same as 24-7 hour true 'service'. And I helped organize 'service projects', but these were fun to me. But it might be AT TIMES (not necessarily ever) beneficial to mentally think about those things as if they belonged to a category like 'leisure' rather than 'sacrifice' (or some other holy seeming phrase like 'serving God'). Yes, we should want to serve God, but we also shouldn't think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

I don't think we always (not 'ever') need to think of particular acts as being more holy than others. Actually it could probably be dangerous to sometimes think of more Christian-seeming acts to be more holy than doing the mundane things 'in a Christian way'.

[15. Rachael said the following at 5:59 PM on Jul 24:]

15

...Maybe people who look pained in a holy way really do feel the worship. And it might be their way of really trying to focus on God, which might require more effort if they're up front leading. But maybe a lot of them don't feel uncomfortable being up front so maybe it doesn't require the extra effort...

[16. Sara said the following at 12:54 AM on Jul 25:]

16

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

[17. Paxton said the following at 4:22 PM on Jul 25:]

17

Birthday party story:

I went to a birthday party. The birthday girl got a Christian Rap CD. We were all listening to it. I was all like "ugh", but everyone else was sitting around with their rap faces on. =P

Now the words of the song were joyful, Christ-is-risen lyrics...but the TONE of the song was angry, sullen rap. Weird.

I said everyone had rap faces -- but there was one girl who didn't. She was tipping her head back and forth and smiling brightly like a preschooler singing "The Wheels on the Bus" -- because Christ is risen! ^_^

That experience changed my life and I realized that I want my face to reflect my worship! It helped me to stop worrying about how I look. So now I smile while all the folks around me look pained, and this means that I think a little too much about their faces I'm sure -- but I hope that behind the strange furrowed brows, they're sharing my smiling joy. =)

[1. Ruth said the following at 12:40 PM on Jul 23:]

1

Yes! Thanks Ted!

[2. LDB said the following at 1:10 PM on Jul 23:]

2

LOL at "I'll resist the urge to have a pained "I'm worshiping" look on my face."

You're right ... why does worship have to look painful? Why can't we smile and laugh like we do at any other time during our day?

Great post. Makes me consider if what I do on Sundays is worship unto God or performance for the people around me.

[3. Andrew said the following at 1:43 PM on Jul 23:]

3

Ted, thanks for this! Praise and worship is the topic for my small group's next meeting on Monday. Your article may well become part of our meeting.

[4. Fisayo said the following at 2:33 PM on Jul 23:]

4

Great comment. Especially about the Spirit. I have always wondered why in church, we have to invite the Holy Spirit when He's already with us. Having said that, i think most people think there are worshipping only when they reach an emotional high. Sometimes God lets us have this but sometimes He doesnt, because worship is more than emotions. It's intentional.

[5. Dan said the following at 4:02 PM on Jul 23:]

5

I agree with this wholeheartedly. But on the same note, I think there is something special about times when the Bride of Christ comes together in song. I've seen the Holy Spirit do amazing work bringing hearts to worship and unity during times when God's people humble themselves and join together to lift God's name high. I think that's why we see the passion and "pained" looks as well as hopefully faces full of joy.

And I agree that our worship comes in the form of our lives = everything we do from the time we wake to when we sleep (I've even heard it argued that choosing to get enough sleep is one of the most spiritual things you can do). If our hearts only turn in gratitude and praise to our great God when we're singing, we may have to evaluate how we are living.

[6. Sheri said the following at 4:03 PM on Jul 23:]

6

This really doesn't seem like a great revelation to me. I smile when I sing praises to God, and I have trouble understanding those who don't...Why would you want to have a "pained, I'm worshiping" look on your face. That's just strange.

[7. Anne said the following at 4:12 PM on Jul 23:]

7

Hi Ted thanks for this it made me think. Here are a few verses that might be relevant.

Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

Psa 89:7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

[8. Jo said the following at 4:58 PM on Jul 23:]

8

Great points Ted, I agree with you.

I do think there is a difference though when we come to 'do worship' in a dedicated way with other believers, ie singing hymns in church or other similarly 'God-focused' activity.

When I'm going about my daily life in a worshipful way, God isn't at the forefront of my mind all the time, my job is, or my conversations with friends, or the book I'm reading, or whatever, yet I am still a Christian and this is reflected in my actions. Much like a married woman is not thinking of her husband 24/7, yet she is still married, and this is shown by how she behaves.

But when we come to 'do worship' we're actively concentrating on God - it's like the time that a husband and wife actually spend together - it's essential for a healthy relationship. Although the Holy Spirit is in us constantly, I think we do come into God's presence in a different way when we worship like this. And I also think there's something to be said for the reverence, and of remembering how awesome it is that we're allowed in His presence at all. Of course that's a heart thing and doesn't need to be demonstrated by an outward show.

None of that disagrees with anything you said - I don't think it means we can't be lighthearted and so on, as you said. But I think that distinction does exist... the everyday worship and the focused worship are part of the same thing, but I do think we need both - but as you say nicely in your last paragraph, I think they flow quite naturally from each other, and I don't think anything special has to be 'added' in focused worship. It's just a different way of being together with God. :)

[9. LisaMarie Goetz said the following at 6:04 PM on Jul 23:]

9

Ted,

This post rocks! I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've said!

[10. Kathryn said the following at 6:07 PM on Jul 23:]

10

Haha, this is totally my own personal hobby horse. Whenever anyone asks me along to a "worship" service/Bible study I get off into my "worship is a holistic thing, not just singing songs in church" rant.

So, while I should say that I agree with you... I've been singing this particular tune for a while, so you agree with me ;)

[11. K in NY said the following at 9:43 PM on Jul 23:]

11

I appreciate this post, as a catholic I often invite my friends of other christian traditions to come to a service with me, as well as worship at their churches when invited as well. I have gotten the questions in various forms why catholics spend so much more time on communion, personal and ritual prayer, and other rituals and not as much on worship and the sermon. My reply is it is all worship, that praying as a community and especially communion are the way that we worship God when we come together and this is the way that their ancestors as well as mine worshiped for centuries. Worship is indeed, as you say, in the heart, songs are just songs and ritual is just ritual if it is not done for the love and glory of God.

[12. Charlotte C. said the following at 3:13 AM on Jul 24:]

12

*faved

Wonderful post, Ted.

I completely agree with everything on this post.

[13. jboyd said the following at 7:47 AM on Jul 24:]

13

So about that pained "I'm worshipping" expression on one's face. Hopefully that's not one's default expression in the assembly of the saints. Mind you, if someone is distraught with life's circumstances, that seems okay to me. It's more honest than a fake smile. Similarly, if the Spirit is bringing conviction to one's heart about sin or about some truth/doctrine that we've totally neglected or viewed the wrong way, there is usually a bit of pain in processing that. There is godly sorrow/pain that accompanies repentance.

Dan, getting enough sleep sounds like a good discipline. I know the Lord loves to speak to His children through dreams, so setting sufficient time for sleep can definitely facilitate Him doing that. But besides the point, it sets us up well for another full day of worship.

About inviting the Holy Spirit, I agree, He's already there. He's with us at all times. But I believe He enjoys being welcomed and honoured before the saints. Perhaps think of it as inviting forward a particularly honoured guest. The guest is already in your midst, but it's appropriate to honour him and recognize his role in what is about to unfold.

Has anyone ever considered dancing as an expression of worship? I'm not talking about jumping up and down kind of freestyle, as much as I enjoy that sometimes. Nor am I talking about just two or three skilled dancers performing an interpretive dance. I mean something akin to square dancing or line dancing, where music is played and the Body of Christ dances in sync to some simple but fun and lively dance moves. Literally, dancing before the Lord. I know it seems a little archaic (ie. like medieval renaissance), but I think it would be loads of fun and an interesting way to celebrate before the Lord.

[14. Rachael said the following at 5:55 PM on Jul 24:]

14

If a key were reverence and a focus off ourselves, I think it would be neat if the team leading music was limited to people who had instruments or the person who was going to be speaking up front anyway, if it worked out practically. I think I've been to a church where the person singing up front was simply a pastor or staff person or something. But I suppose that would be hard in cases of contemporary music or new songs (if there was no one to lead). And maybe it's a really worshipful time for the person who leads the singing...

And if worship were treated more informally, as if it were any other kind of action, maybe it wouldn't matter whether people were standing up in prominent positions or not.

********************

On another note, I think 'service' can be kind-of like this. I used to be really into 'service', but I think at least later in my life I understood that the established ministry things were not the same as 24-7 hour true 'service'. And I helped organize 'service projects', but these were fun to me. But it might be AT TIMES (not necessarily ever) beneficial to mentally think about those things as if they belonged to a category like 'leisure' rather than 'sacrifice' (or some other holy seeming phrase like 'serving God'). Yes, we should want to serve God, but we also shouldn't think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

I don't think we always (not 'ever') need to think of particular acts as being more holy than others. Actually it could probably be dangerous to sometimes think of more Christian-seeming acts to be more holy than doing the mundane things 'in a Christian way'.

[15. Rachael said the following at 5:59 PM on Jul 24:]

15

...Maybe people who look pained in a holy way really do feel the worship. And it might be their way of really trying to focus on God, which might require more effort if they're up front leading. But maybe a lot of them don't feel uncomfortable being up front so maybe it doesn't require the extra effort...

[16. Sara said the following at 12:54 AM on Jul 25:]

16

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

[17. Paxton said the following at 4:22 PM on Jul 25:]

17

Birthday party story:

I went to a birthday party. The birthday girl got a Christian Rap CD. We were all listening to it. I was all like "ugh", but everyone else was sitting around with their rap faces on. =P

Now the words of the song were joyful, Christ-is-risen lyrics...but the TONE of the song was angry, sullen rap. Weird.

I said everyone had rap faces -- but there was one girl who didn't. She was tipping her head back and forth and smiling brightly like a preschooler singing "The Wheels on the Bus" -- because Christ is risen! ^_^

That experience changed my life and I realized that I want my face to reflect my worship! It helped me to stop worrying about how I look. So now I smile while all the folks around me look pained, and this means that I think a little too much about their faces I'm sure -- but I hope that behind the strange furrowed brows, they're sharing my smiling joy. =)