. . . to those who teach on Worship without talking mostly about God, for it is God Who is the source and substance of our worship. It is God Who informs, instructs and invites our worship. He designs and deserves our worship; He enables and evaluates our worship.
We are not doing God a favor by worshiping; Worship is seemly, appropriate, fitting and proper. To slight God when teaching on Worship is like jogging past the Mona Lisa, or ignoring a glorious sunrise. It is like stargazing and not feeling small. Teaching on Worship without talking about God is like a person who teaches on marriage without mentioning their spouse. They are simply in love with Love. They may be in the vicinity of something great, but they have completely missed the point, which is AWE!
All the instruction we need for Corporate Worship
is rooted in
Who God is.
He is pure, so we speak words of confession.
He is strong, so we place and declare our trust in Him.
He is merciful, so we speak and sing words of deep gratitude.
He is faithful, so we spread and raise hands in surrender.
He is beyond description, so we climb into silence.
He is sovereign, so we tremble with godly fear.
He is creative, so we express recognized truths in new ways.
He is present, so we acknowledge and pray.
He is Life, so we stand in power.
He is good, so we dare to be honest.
He is triune, so we worship in Community.
He is eternal, so we remember and anticipate.
He is praiseworthy, so we sacrifice and offer.
He is unequalled, so we sing and speak words of adoration.
He is Spirit, so we listen intently.
He is holy, so we bow and kneel.
He is the Word, so we study.
He is mysterious, so we employ signs and symbols.
* * *
Don’t listen to those who teach only about the right song, or the right band, or the right lighting, or the right riff, but don’t talk about God. Pay close attention to those who catalogue God’s attributes with a call to communal response. Listen to those who focus on the Holy One, and who design corporate action based on God’s descriptions of Himself.
To teach on Worship without talking about God is to adore the artifact, and this is idolatry.