You Can't Just Call it Worship

When I was young in the ministry--about 150 years ago--I wanted to call every gathering, every event, every concert...worship.

But I've discovered through the years that just calling it worship won't make it so.

Sadly, this is evidenced in many churches Sunday after Sunday.

People attend. They are dutiful. They sing. They listen to a sermon. They bow their heads when it's time to pray. They might even put a wafer and some juice in their mouths.

But doing those things doesn't make it worship.

I also get to attend and sing in some pretty cool gatherings. Concerts in churches, or at ball parks, or any number of places.

And we want to call those worship events too, right? After all, there are Christians singing, playing instruments, etc. Isn't that worship?

Well, as much as I don't want to write this, I don't think so.

We can have all of the sacred content we want, use that content in a sacred venue, and even be surrounded by people who believe in Jesus. But that's not what makes an event worship.

So what does?

Simple, really.

When the people in that place engage their heads and their hearts, their intellect and their emotion, their attention and affection... when they give themselves to Jesus.

That's worship.

You've experienced this, as I have. There is a song sung or a prayer prayed and people around you are attending the event but not attending to God. Then something changes. It's palpable. The song that is sung or the prayer that is prayed is indeed engaging God.

The room changes. The countenance on the faces of the people brightens. The Presence is present.

By the way, style is irrelevant here. I've seen this happen when singing Bach Chorales and leading with guitars and drums.

What is relevant?

What you do. How you serve. How you lead...

...with a mind and heart given to Jesus.

"But the time is coming--indeed it's here now--when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." - John 4:23-24

"These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made..." - Isaiah 29:13