Don’t Stew Over the Stew
Just as stew can contain very different ingredients, so words can often contain very different meanings, and worship is just such a word. The second category that got thrown into the “worship” pot has to do with acts of service to God. Worship is not just an attitude; it is also an action. The Hebrew word abad means to work or labor for another, and was generally used to refer to the work of the priests and Levites in their roles relating to temple worship. Psalm 134:1-2 demonstrates this. “Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who minister by night in the house of the Lord.” It refers to actually doing something that brings honor to God.
The early church used the word leitourgia, which also refers to the service, work or ministry of worship. Our English word “liturgy” comes from this understanding. In the evangelical church, liturgy has often been thought of as worship that is done by rote and deadened by endless repetition. Unfortunately, the word liturgy simply means “the work of the people.” It is the opposite of spectator worship, and describes a worship gathering, where worship can have form without being formal. I like this ingredient because it puts the responsibility for worship on the people, rather than on the platform. Just showing up doesn’t mean that a person worshiped. Worship requires a person’s full attention, and intention, to do the work of worship. We should not leave church commenting on how the leaders did, but rather asking God “how did I do; did I please You?”
Cooking With God
Everyone who wants to be in relationship with God immediately finds himself or herself in a grand conversation. Theologians call this the “dialogical process” but it simply refers to the order and form of our friendship. The surprising truth here is that God wants to be in relationship with us, even though we are broken. He went to the trouble of revealing Himself to us in a variety of ways, and He invites us to respond to him with that same variety. In other words, God has played “show and tell” with us by revealing his attributes and character, and we get to respond in various ways. We respond with confession because we see that we are broken. We respond with praise because we see his marvelous deeds. We respond with petitions because we are all too aware of our need. We respond with thanksgiving, because we see that we are undeserving. And we respond with worship and awe when we begin to glimpse His greatness.
Don’t miss the way this unfolds. God should have the first word in each situation. He is, after all, the King of the Universe. It is appropriate to take time to hear from Him before you respond to him. The goal is to worship God as he has revealed himself to us, rather than how we think or hope him to be. Worship requires us to listen to, and think about, what God says about Himself, and to respond with reverence and service. An example may be of help. Our moon has no light or heat of its own; it simply reflects the light of the sun. Worship, then, is reflecting back to God what He says to be true about Himself: his character, his attributes or his love. When we worship we offer as full and true a reflection of God as possible. May we all be a full moon!