Having led worship in various capacities for over 35 years, one would think it should be easy for me to wrap up this Christmas series on the topic of worship. But the truth is: I have beheld too much.
Yes, I love God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my strength. And while I joyfully worship and linger for hours in the presence of the Lord, it is the company with whom I’ve had the honor of worshipping with that leaves me undone.
Worship is both deeply personal and wholly communal.
I have worshiped with sweet, redeemed bar girls who were rescued out of the demon-filled sex trade in the Philippines — who now dance for Jesus. I have worshipped with dirt-poor indigenous church planters in India who are routinely beaten to near-death — who continue to preach.
I have worshipped hand in hand with exuberantly joyful survivors of the unthinkably hellish Rwandan genocide — who still bear the scars. I have marveled at the choruses of abandoned orphans in Northern Uganda who were scooped off the streets and now live in a safe, prospering Christian community — who now have enough hope to never look back.
And right here at home, I have worshipped with countless thousands across the country as well as here in the local church and prayer rooms. To know the stories of those who have sacrificed everything, those who have been miraculously healed of cancer, addiction, and abuse, and those who willingly spend their weeknights gratefully praising God always humbles me to be counted among them.
No, it’s not at all easy to write about worship. Nor should it be. I am left trembling to find words to describe the indescribable.
Before we go any further I realize many may be asking: What is worship anyway?
First, what it is not. Contrary to what the vast majority of first-world western evangelicals might say, worship is not a great house band that can cover three fast and two slow songs before the smoke machine runs out.
A help in understanding what worship is can be found by using a common biblical hermeneutic called, the Law of First Mention. Simply put, when interpreting or translating a word, look for the place it is first mentioned in scripture. Undoubtedly, that will surely provide key points to watch for as the word appears throughout the rest of scripture.
Worship( Shachah) is first mentioned in the book Genesis, chapter 18.
We read that the Lord appeared to Abraham in the form of three men. Knowing full well that Elohim is a three-in-one God, it says that Abraham bowed low to the ground before them. We then see this word used throughout the Old Testament, always in the context of bowing down, paying homage, or submitting oneself in great honor before God or another.
In the New Testament, the word for worship ( Proskyneo) connotes the same bowing to the ground but adds: To kiss the hand of. There is an intimacy introduced in Jesus’ day which we should not miss.
Exactly how did house bands and smoke machines get involved? As early as Genesis chapter 4, there is mention of musical instruments and song. Music has always been used to; draw people together, invite Heaven to Earth, open up mouths, and unlock hearts to create a sense of unity amid the glory of God
This was a bit of a wander around the stable to say: The writer of O Holy Night used precisely the right phrase to capture the reaction of the Earth when the Son of God was birthed in a manger.
I imagine an exhausted Joseph collapsing to the hay-strewn floor as he finally realized both Mary and Jesus were fine.
I imagine those camping shepherds crumpling upon the knolls in reverent fear as they failingly tried to hide from the most spectacular angelic display our atmosphere has ever projected.
I imagine the wise men prostrating low before the child as they opened their treasure boxes to offer their gifts.
No, we don’t ease to our knees, or gently lower to our knees, or sit on the bevel of the pew barely reaching the kneeler with our knees. We uncontrollably fall to our knees.
O hear the angel voices
Knowing full well there were 613 points of law a good Jew was required to follow, a certain religious expert tried to trick Jesus by asking: Teacher, w hat is the most important commandment?
As always, Jesus soared over the top of the poser’s trap and answered with what most of us know well;
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself
He went on to say that the entirety of the law is fulfilled in these.
So, we march happily onward, striving to love God and love one another, all the while missing the key which makes these two commandments even possible.
Hear, O Israel
How would you describe any relationship where you were entirely incapable of hearing the voice of the other person? At best, it would be woefully dysfunctional and at worst — it would be no relationship at all.
The key to unlocking true worship is not just prayer, singing, and firing up the smoke machine. The first step is: Hearing the Lord.
When I talk with fellow worship leaders, I always tell them to lead with big ears. If we aren’t hearing the sounds of God, how are we to return fitting praise to Him?
And, worship has a recipe. Jesus taught us in John’s Gospel: The Father is seeking true worshippers. Those who worship in Spirit and Truth.
This first tells us; false worship is the norm. True worshippers are so rare, The Father has to search across the Earth just to find them. And second, this recipe for true worship only calls for two ingredients: The presence of the Holy Spirit and the Truth as embodied in Christ.
O night divine O night when Christ was born
That night was so divine, a dimly floated Happy Holidays is better left unsaid. Even a Merry Christmas pales to convey what happened under that Bethlehem star.
Imagine if we greeted one another with the fullness of the reality this season demands:
Christ was born for you!
Followed by a response of:
And Christ was born for you too!
Lastly, remember that birth is only the beginning of the story. When resurrection was implanted in Mary’s womb and the infant was safely born nine months later, it was only the beginning.
Scripture says Jesus was teaching in the temples by age 12 as he grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man.
As a man, he showed us what the Father is like. While announcing that a new kingdom had come, he raised the dead, healed the sick, cast out demons, fed the poor, and welcomed the sinner. He submitted himself to an unjust, torturous death and was buried in a borrowed tomb.
But, three days later…
Fall on your knees!
Originally published at https://www.winepatch.org on December 22, 2022.
