Worship

https://odb.org/MY/2021/10/04/wherever-we-worship

I have been involved in worship for most of my Christian life as learning to play the guitar was the thing that brought me to join a Navigator’s bible study and subsequently accepted Christ. Two years after that I joined a church that sang acapella with tambourines for rhythmic timing and thus I later started playing acoustic guitar, adding chords to the mix. That’s more than 35 years ago.

Throughout all those years, as much as I believe musical instruments and good musicians are an essential element to a good worship experience, I know that our hearts are always more important. By that I mean that our hearts when worshipping God and that includes the hearts of both the worship leader as well as the musicians. As musicians and worship leaders, we play and sing to the best of our abilities. We use the best equipment and instruments that we or our church can afford so that we are giving God our best in worship under the circumstances. And yet what’s more crucial to achieve a worship experience where we touch God’s throne and enter into His presence is our heart. Worship cannot be mechanical or out of duty. It has to come from within us, filled with thanksgiving, adoration, gratefulness, awesome wonder as He is indeed beautiful beyond description and we stand in awe of Him. Christ is really worthy of all of our praise and worship. That I believe is what Jesus meant in John 4:23 when He said the time will come and it is now that true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. We need to worship God in the spirit, deep from within us in unison with the Holy Spirit as He guides us and as He moves among us. For worship leaders, moving along with the Spirit is a sensitivity we develop over time based on a sanctified life. So yes, I agree we can worship anywhere because the place is irrelevant. That means we can worship God via Zoom or Facebook Live from anywhere we are, no matter how bad the connection or how limited the musical experience. That doesn’t mean we should dispense with meeting one another all together as congregational worship and getting together have their own merits.

Jesus also taught that we need to worship in truth. What that basically means, in my view, is that we need to sing truths as revealed by the Word of God. We don’t sing any song to worship God, but I believe that any song that speaks the truth of His glory, that tells of His goodness and His faithfulness is a good worship song. Any song that exalts the truth as revealed in Scriptures is good. That is why when I prepare for worship, I believe I can choose any song that touches my heart or speaks to me. There is good in having a theme or in choosing songs that proclaim a certain message but to me, the songs must touch my heart first. A true worshipper and worship leader can take any song that proclaims the truth of God and worship or worship lead with that.

Worship God from anywhere with any song of worship or praise or hymn that comes to mind. Worship from within us. Live a sanctified and forgiving life. The Holy Place is where we are. God’s presence will be there with us as we worship Him from where we are, from who we are in Christ, having been redeemed and justified by the blood of the Lamb. There is thus no condemnation as we approach the Throne of Grace. Only grace and His loving presence.