|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:44 am
"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers." - John 4:23
this week i've been thinking a lot about worship, especially about ways that i can worship that aren't necessarily when i'm listening to David Crowder at home or singing along with the band at church. what exactly defines worship? is worship confined to praising God, or can obedience to what God asks of us be worship as well? so basically my question is, what is considered worship?
it's obvious that merely singing a praise song is not worship if one's heart is not in it. in Isaiah 1:11-14, God makes it clear that rituals alone do not please Him. and in the verse quoted above, God seeks for people who worship in "Spirit and truth", which i think means people who's worship is not superficial and based on outward acts, but matters of the mind and the heart. if one is just singing a song solely for the song's sake then there is no point to it. worship in song is a matter of the heart, not of the voice. one's heart cannot be far from God in worship, because if so then such an act means nothing to Him, and it is something "[He] cannot bear". it is like reciting a sonnet to a lover, but not actually meaning the words one is saying. and after all, aren't praise songs basically love songs to God? isn't their purpose to exclaim the wonder of God and to help others do the same?
i have heard from some people than anything can be considered worship to God if one "dedicates", so to speak, the act to God, commonly an act of service. but is it so simple? i mean, i can see how such a thing as singing a praise song and meaning what one is singing can be worship because the two are related, but can an action besides that be considered worship? does this mean then that if we have our eyes on God constantly (assuming this is possible), our whole lives will be an act of worship that never ends? i am just throwing some ideas out there. give me your thoughts.
this is a broad topic, so basically just feel free to contribute in whatever way you think is fine, as long as it corresponds to the topic of course. you don't have to necessarily answer the questions, but just give some thoughts on the topic of worship.
also, as a side question, are there any particular worship songs that you favor, in the way of being able to get you to worship? i think for me, it's "Take Me In" by Dave Browning.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:39 pm
Worship, as you said, isn't just an act. Your spirit must be in your actions. However, worship is not driven purely on emotion, like I think you also said. You must also worship in your mind for it to be considered true worship. That's what the Bible means by worshiping in spirit and in turth; there's a balance of the two.
And my favorite worship song is Days of Elijah, especially when sung by Ross King.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:37 am
oh my goodness, I have SOOOO Much to say on the topic of worship, but I've no where near enough time at the moment...
so, for now, you must settle for my current favorite worship songs
O Sacred King (no idea on original artist!)
Unchanging, Chris Tomlin
O Praise Him, David Crowder Band
From the Inside Out, Hillsong United
Hungry (again, no idea)
worship is so intergral to our lives as Christians. it is our oppertunity to try and express our love for our Abba Father.
I lead worship tonight with my internship group--first time I've done that. It was wonderful.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
