Thursday, January 19, 2006
More Thoughts On Worship
My post from Tuesday on worship, and a specific praise chorus, has brought quite a bit of comment and linking. I feel like I should probably add a bit to it.
First, the observation that I made about the praise chorus was made in a specific context. Many, many things we do can be good things or bad things depending on context. Such is certainly true of a worship service. We can participate rightly or wrongly and which it is depends as much on what we bring to it as what actually happens in it. However, I think that means we should endeavor to create the correct context in worship.
One commenter pointed out that the etimology of the word "worship" lies in "worth-ship." I understand, but God's worthiness is not dependent on our praise. We do not make God worthy, He simply is worthy.
Pseudo-Polymath had a post about worship yesterday. (Mark by the way kindly linked to my Tuesday post at World Mag's Blogwatch.) In his posts he starts with some interesting questions
The oft repeated "God is awesome" demand s further context - "We are not awesome." And that is what is missing so often from the modern praise chorus.
Another context that powered my observation was the fact that Time-Life has released another CD series of praise music, the commericals on TV are endless, and painful. The depict not worship services, but concerts, and feature people in the crowd looking all estatic. Worship is not about achieving an estatic state - such a state empowers us, it does not place God on His throne, and leave us in humble supplication before Him.
So how can we establish the correct context for worship? We can't always because it is so much up to the individual worshiper. But I do think some lyrical complexity would help a bit. I do think engaging both our minds and our spirits would help.
Humility, confession, brokeness these words are a huge part of Christian faith. They are missing from much that is modern worship music. Would for a modern worship song that extolled my wretchedness while acknowledging God's goodness. God's grace would not be nearly so precious were I not so utterly wretched.
Related Tags: Christianity, worship, praise chorus, grace, wretchedness
First, the observation that I made about the praise chorus was made in a specific context. Many, many things we do can be good things or bad things depending on context. Such is certainly true of a worship service. We can participate rightly or wrongly and which it is depends as much on what we bring to it as what actually happens in it. However, I think that means we should endeavor to create the correct context in worship.
One commenter pointed out that the etimology of the word "worship" lies in "worth-ship." I understand, but God's worthiness is not dependent on our praise. We do not make God worthy, He simply is worthy.
Pseudo-Polymath had a post about worship yesterday. (Mark by the way kindly linked to my Tuesday post at World Mag's Blogwatch.) In his posts he starts with some interesting questions
Why do we worship? God doesn?t get anything from it, what do we get out of it? Why go to church?He's right in his supposition that God gets nothing out of it, and yet worship is all about God. Thus, what we get from worship is placing ourselves in right relationship to God. In acknowledging His worth, we must also consciously acknowledge our lack thereof.
The oft repeated "God is awesome" demand s further context - "We are not awesome." And that is what is missing so often from the modern praise chorus.
Another context that powered my observation was the fact that Time-Life has released another CD series of praise music, the commericals on TV are endless, and painful. The depict not worship services, but concerts, and feature people in the crowd looking all estatic. Worship is not about achieving an estatic state - such a state empowers us, it does not place God on His throne, and leave us in humble supplication before Him.
So how can we establish the correct context for worship? We can't always because it is so much up to the individual worshiper. But I do think some lyrical complexity would help a bit. I do think engaging both our minds and our spirits would help.
Humility, confession, brokeness these words are a huge part of Christian faith. They are missing from much that is modern worship music. Would for a modern worship song that extolled my wretchedness while acknowledging God's goodness. God's grace would not be nearly so precious were I not so utterly wretched.
Related Tags: Christianity, worship, praise chorus, grace, wretchedness
