Scottish Baptist Lay Preachers Association

Worship at its very basic is simply bringing pleasure to God. It was St Irenaeus who said that “the glory of God is a human being fully alive”. C S Lewis said that “in commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him”.

By definition worship is therefore a world away from singing a few worship songs on a Sunday morning. True worship is that distinctive Christo-centric lifestyle of honouring and enjoying God, loving Him and giving ourselves wholly to Him. When our lives are lived out for the glory of God, everything we do becomes an act of worship. Worship is “putting a smile on God’s face”.

Reflect on the history of Israel and in particular the Old Testament where there were effectively two strands of worship. There was the prophetic strand where we see emergence of the major and minor prophets, who were into sharing visions, what one might term an experiential approach and at times, way out in terms of what they came out with. But there was also the priestly strand, where there was form and order, solemnity, robes and liturgy.  And here’s the point I want to snatch at. Neither had a monopoly on truth. Both were equally valid.

So today, whether the style is more ‘traditional’, or more ‘contemporary’, where the worship is in spirit and in truth, from the heart, then it is not only equally valid, but the question of whether it is traditional or contemporary really becomes secondary.

One of my convictions is that if God raised up men like Charles Wesley and Isaac Watt to pen great hymns in the 19th century, He can raise up and use people like Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin to craft worship songs in the 21st!

Ephesians 5:18 reminds us that our worship must be based on the bedrock of Scripture because worship endorses truth. We are to sing psalms, hymns ‘and’ spiritual songs. Our worship must always be focused on the Saviour and earthed in scripture, be an attitude not an act, and be grounded in truth nit tradition. When that happens there will be that ‘beautiful blending’ of the psalms, the hymns and the spiritual songs.

Scripture reminds us that our worship ought to contain the ingredients of;-

- form and order - the liturgy of scripture and creed, hymns and prayers which recount God’s wonderful acts of grace in the past remind us that the centrality of our faith does not depend on the ability to create a lively worship service, but on what God had done for us in Christ Jesus – the foundation on which we are to build our worship.

- reverence and wonder – we are to reverence Gods name and realise when we come to church that we have come into His house and gathered in His name to worship Him. We are to be quiet and adopt an attitude of humility – sometimes we can worship by being silent and listening.

- joy and exuberance – the King is among us, His Spirit is here, let’s draw near to worship, let songs fill the air. If the disciples were glad when the encountered the Risen Lord, should our joy be any leas? God’s Word invites us to sing for joy to the Lord, to shout aloud to the rock of our salvation and to enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts. It’s Biblical to celebrate!

- freedom and spontaneity – when we allow the Holy Spirit to move freely within the structure of a service. In our worship we are to celebrate the past without being locked inescapably into it. Personally I have absolutely no problem with people clapping or raising their hands in worship, or those who want to express their adoration for God through dancing or the waving of flags. If that’s how people want to express to God how great He is, I’m all for it, but equally people should have the freedom to worship God quietly and just sitting where they are. Remember that no one style has the monopoly on truth.

Yet of all the areas in church life, music and worship is probably the one where there is the greatest potential for  division. Heated debate in Leadership meetings, or at the Deacons Court, has brought acrimony and upset to many churches causing resignations and splits which brings dishonour to the Lord. But if a mature and sensible approach us taken under wise and sensitive leadership, then worship can be, not a battle ground, but a blending ground. An assumption is often made that the traditional and contemporary must diverge and that we ought not to blend the two. Are we in taking that approach perhaps creating a rod for our own back before we even start, instead of encouraging creativity within the family? Remember Ephesians 5:18 that we are to sing “psalms, hymns and (note that key word ‘and’) spiritual songs!

David Coffey in his excellent book on Conflict and Reconciliation in the Church, ‘Build that Bridge’, writes:-

“The Bible indicates there are different types of singing appropriate to worship – psalms and hymns link us to the heritage of the years and have a strong place in our worship tradition. The newer form of spiritual song can be quieter and more reflective. It enables us to internalise the Word of God”

Preferences will always run deep when it comes to the subject of worship and the choice of music within our churches, but is it too simplistic to suggest that when we come back to the heart of worship, strip everthing else away and realise it is all about Jesus – about acknowledging, adoring and acclaiming Him – that our preferences become secondary and fade away?
Worship is not about us, but it’s all about Jesus! Let’s make sure we put a smile on His face.