WTTU Special Public Post
What Is Worship? (Show #128) 6-27-17
#WhatIsWorship
3 min read | 30m Show
WorshipEvangelism
In its core essence, #worship is a response to God. It is fellowship with the Triune God, in which we praise, serve and share life.Worship is a response to who God is according to Scripture, what He has done, doing and will do.
6-27-17 WATCH SHOW #128
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Where Are We Heading
I’ve been writing, speaking and teaching about worship for many years, more than I’d like to admit. In the past year, many leaders have asked me where I think worship is headed. They also want to know the most important things they can be doing to prepare for what’s next. Most of these leaders are looking for a specific model or set of trends. But, the question of where worship is headed is always linked to what we think worship is.
What Do We Believe About Worship Anyway?
• If we believe “Worship is a field trip”, we will turn worship into a museum. We will glorify the past, turning worship into a set of rituals that we obsess over and desperately try to preserve, whether our traditions are five years old or five hundred.
• If we believe “Worship is a field trip”, we will turn worship into a museum. We will glorify the past, turning worship into a set of rituals that we obsess over and desperately try to preserve, whether our traditions are five years old or five hundred.
• If we believe “Worship is a concert”, we will emphasize worship as a once-a-week event. We may attract a lot of people, but we run the risk of more “showing” than engaging.
• “Worship as classroom” emphasizes the “telling” part of “show and tell.” It’s about disseminating information that attendees will hopefully apply during the week. In many successful churches, concert and classroom approaches are combined. It’s actually the most popular all worship models.
• “Worship as life,” views the worship service as only one strand in an entire tapestry of spiritual practices. It may be a central and large strand, but ideally, the worship service functions as an overflow of lives that are being transformed daily, not a lone strand waving in the wind.
You probably guessed that none of these answers are THE answer. Yes, we need to remember what worship has been through the ages. The past is there to teach us. It reminds us what it means to come before God and be humbled, be transformed.
[ctt template=”6″ link=”7Pl1I” via=”no” ] But the past isn’t there to be worshipped. God is. #SallyMorgenthaler[/ctt]
Worship in the Word is Central
Experiencing God through the skill and dedication of talented artists lifts our worship to new heights. We are touched at levels mere words can’t reach.
Yet, again, if we make this our primary goal, we have forgotten the why, the what, and the Who. We are simply addicted to the how.
“At its foundation, worship is real people meeting a real God, not a patty-cake rehearsal.” #SallyMorgenthaler Certainly, the Word is central to worship. Revelation is pivotal. Luther himself called worship the “school” of the church.
God knew that a well-honed message will convict our hearts and help us to live life at a higher, more committed level. Yet worship is not a Bible study. It is both revelation and response. We hear, we let the Word capture us, and we offer our heartfelt commitment back to God.
Finally, worship is a Romans 12:1 enactment. It is where we offer up our entire lives; where we rediscover who and Whose we are. We can’t expect one service a week to shape us into maturity.
[ctt template=”6″ link=”7Pl1I” via=”no” ]What is worship in its totality? It is the 24/7 posture of our faith. #SallyMorgenthaler[/ctt]
Recap
“Real worship exalts the God made known to us in Jesus Christ.” As you plan worship this week, you might remember these four basic orientations to corporate worship. How is the service you’re planning touching back into the best of the past? How is it impacting people via the arts? Is it teaching attendees about who God is, who they are, and what transformation looks like?
Finally, is it sending them back into their everyday lives with a renewed passion to be draw closer to God and to offer every moment back in service? This – all this – is worship. #SallyMorgenthaler #WorshipEvangelism
@BranonDempsey @worshiptt @WorshipTTU
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