Part 1
Why do we worship in song?
Let's start with Psalm 103, a song of David. The Psalms are full of songs in praise of God, as well as heart-felt cries of anguish, expressions of confidence and of fear. In fact, they contain a good description of the emotions we experience as our spirits seek to speak with God.
Music and poetry, which are the components of hymns and songs, have the ability to crystallise our feelings and our thoughts. Participating in this artistry means we sing, which then requires the effort of our bodies as well as our minds and emotions. So when we allow God's spirit to direct all of these parts of us towards our Father in heaven, as David says, "All my being, praise His holy name!"
I prefer hymns/modern songs/both/neither/I don't really mind - (delete as applicable. )
So you prefer one thing over another - good. Are you passionate about it - good! There are 85 places in the Bible where we are instructed to sing.
St Paul tells us to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs - but he doesn't tell us which to prefer. There are all sorts of influences on what we do prefer - up-bringing, culture, our hearing, our own tunefulness, our rhythmic-ness (!) - Just as we have different preferences in playing and watching sport - though of course, rugby is the best sport...
What are now hymns were once the new songs. Some songs are now old songs, and some new songs are hymns! C onfused? - Probably. So what is important? Is it the quality of the composition, the poetry of the words, the musicianship of the players? Yes ! And No ! The authorship of our music should be of the highest quality that the writers are able to produce, and the playing should be of the best standard the musicians are capable of - that is part of their worship. Our worship is to put our whole hearts into the delivery.
Of course, this means that some types of worship are uncomfortable for some. All those influences, which we looked at above, mould us to some extent. However, when the method of delivery is easiest, when our intellect and our emotions and our spirits agree, as with Brian Hoare and Charles Wesley, our worship is "Born in Song"
.
What if you can't sing? see Psalm 100:1 - Revised Standard Version.
But what if singing does nothing for you? You may have no emotional connection with this whole process, or your musical preference is never expressed in our worship. There are two approaches we can consider:
- 1. Sing anyway, in obedience to St Paul's teaching, though this may feel more of a duty than heartfelt worship;
- 2. put your heart and soul into a different expression of your worship.
All of us may worship through any or all of these means, but the key is that we do it to honour and bless God and we put the whole of ourselves into the effort of it. A worshipping congregation will become aware of the delight that God has in the praises of his people, and that lifts our hearts more.
What about service, can't that be my act of worship? (see Part 2 - next month)
Best bits about worship in the Bible
Psalm 150. One for the musicians, and I don't think the list of instruments is meant to be complete. However, harps are mentioned twice - do the Welsh know something we don't?
Part 2
Isn't service in the community, or in church, good enough to be our act of worship?
Yes! And No! It is a worthy act of worship, but not the same as worshipping with the body of Christ in music. Our whole lives are meant to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12) of worship.
As the preacher, Ian Coffee, once said, the trouble with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar. Our acts of service, our work-times and home-times, our making-the-tea times, are all capable of being worship, but we need to go back to the altar, the presence of God, and pour out our hearts in praise and adoration, in tune (approximately) with our fellow believers.
Why do we repeat songs over and over again?
Quick answer - because we are enjoying it. That could be some of the worship group, and some of the congregation, but clearly, because the question gets asked, not everyone.
Longer answer - some songs are not too long or complex, but convey a particular sense of God's presence. When these songs are used, they are not just to communicate a message in words but to allow time for all the congregation to enjoy God's presence without rushing on. This might be a quick song, full of life and joy, or a quiet song which becomes a prayer or a meditation.
What would I suggest, if you don't like repeat-choruses? Firstly, use the time to be with God. If you can't use the music to worship, tune out and pray. Secondly, don't allow yourself to get annoyed, because that will dampen your own spirit. Thirdly, and this applies to the worship leaders, don't over-do it.
Aren't the old hymns good enough?
Of course they are - or were. But the same thing applies to the Psalms of the Old Testament and early-church days, the canticles of the middle ages and the chants of the evensong. God is creative, and puts a creative spirit in his people. I am thankful that God inspires the Wesleys, the Watts, the Newtons as much as I am for the Kendricks and the Redmans. I believe that God raises these people up to write for their own generation, and sometimes the inspiration lasts for years and centuries. But many, many hymns have not stood the test of time, just as many of the last 50 years' songs will disappear in only a few decades.
As I discussed in Part 1, we are constrained in our worship by our cultural roots, and we may not be able to be comfortable with - for some - songs, or - for others - hymns. Does this mean we will lose our musical heritage - no! But we need to use all this fantastic music to worship, not for its own sake.
Why do some people raise their arms in worship?
In a training course, Graham Kendrick asked everyone who had a problem with this to hold their hand up. Then he said, "Raise the other one - now wasn't that easy?" It is an expression of openness to God, and is easy to do, but like many outward expressions of worship - clapping, dancing, etc. - it makes some of us feel self-conscious. What can I say? - let those who can, do, and let those who can't, be relaxed about it. It's not about us, it's about God, and it's all OK.
Best bits about worship in the Bible.
2 Samuel ch.6 v14. David was very un-selfconscious in worship, and got into trouble with his wife. He was right, on this occasion, to abandon all decorum for the Lord.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
However, our responses are mixed and widely different to the idea of "more" in worship. Among the comments made to me are:-
Let's go back to the beginning again…
The basic answer is: To honour God together.
This raises the second question: "Why would we want to honour God?"
And the answer? Well, I would like to say "because for the last week, the Father has loved me, the Son has walked with me and the Spirit has filled me, and this is the same for all of us".
This is only partially true for me, because I continue to let God down, but that partial success gives me reason to praise God. The failure gives me reason to come to God in confession and ask for forgiveness. To do this together, with one heart as the body of Jesus, is then our worship together.
And the point is?
Christian life must be powered by the Holy Spirit to be fruitful, and worship must be powered by the Holy Spirit to be honest and true, and it all centres on the knowledge and experience of the presence of God.
The answer to our main question, then, is: there is more to our worship when we seek the presence of God in our lives and in our Services. As the communion liturgy says, "as we draw near to God, He draws near to us". And when we experience the presence of God, we put more into our worship.
There have been many times in our Church's history when God's presence has been widely recognised, and this has drawn from us greater response in commitment, in faith, in prayer and, of course, in worship. We have queued for prayer and for healing, and some have had special, deep experiences, which meant they could no longer stand up. Many of us have experienced this in other places as well.
What should I do, if I find this very uncomfortable?
Knutsford Methodist Church's organists, musicians and singers are there each Sunday to provide the framework for our worship, and the playing and singing is part of their act of worship. This might describe you, too, and if so, you could give me a call via the Church Office, 01565 652251 - also you could visit www.kmcworshipgroup.info. You can also access here the views of a professional worship leader, Martin Layzell.
Part 3
Is there more to worship than we see at Knutsford Methodist Church?
I think we all know the answer to this question. Whether we worship in traditional style at the 9:15am Service, more contemporary style at the 10:45am Service, or in some of the fresh expression Services in the evenings, we know that there is more. What we have now is a pale copy of the ultimate Worship Service described in Revelation (ch.4).
We tend to have already thought of what the next step might be, and, for some of us, it doesn't seem appealing. And if worship is not appealing, we are off track somewhere. We need to find God's track.
No, not Genesis, but the basic question: "Why do we worship together on Sunday?"
The more we live with God in the week, the more honest and heartfelt is our praise and worship to Him on a Sunday. In fact, it is the experience of God in our lives that gives us the ability to worship. Jesus put it this way - "God is spirit, and only by the power of the Spirit can people worship Him as he really is". (John 4v24).
What does it mean to worship by the power of the Spirit?
You don't half ask difficult questions! Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, and she had asked whether it was correct to worship God in Jerusalem (where the Jews believed the presence of God dwelt in the temple), or on a mountain in Samaria. Jesus' answer was that God's people would live in God's presence everywhere, because of the Holy Spirit who would dwell within each believer.
Firstly, I hope this attempt at an explanation will help your understanding. Secondly, seek the presence of God in your own way, while allowing others their different responses. And thirdly, for all of us, we should look for God's presence all week-long - to be Spirit powered.
1 Kings 8:1-13. Solomon opens the new temple in Jerusalem and God shows up, spectacularly! Similar stories of the "Shekhina" have been heard from church-gatherings around the world in recent times.