“I need to worship because without it I can forget that I have a big God beside me and live in fear. I need to worship because without it I can forget his calling and begin to live in a spirit of self-preoccupation. I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on. I need worship because my natural tendency is toward self-reliance and stubborn independence.” — John Ortberg
While we are gratefully beyond the “worship wars,” worship remains a topic where Jesus’ followers have a tremendous amount of passion. For many though, it can feel there’s a minefield to navigate as one sorts through myths in pursuit of truth.
Here’s five myths which get in the way of true worship:
1) Worship is all about our feelings. False.
Our feelings change all the time - based upon the weather, what we had for dinner last night, and the latest trend online. Malachi 3:6 reminds us that God’s character - the reason for our worship - never changes. “I am the LORD, and I do not change.”
2) Worship only happens in a building and a service on a weekend. False.
True worship is far bigger than a venue or the day of the week. God is worth far more than just 1/168 of our time and attention. In Romans 12, Paul wrote, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”
3) Worship is primarily about the kind of experience I’m having. False.
Worship isn’t about our experience - it’s about the worthiness of God. 1 Chronicles 16:25 says, “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.”
4) Worship should be entirely spontaneous and experience-driven. False.
In contrast to our tendency to worship when we feel like it - scheduling structured worship experiences can be one of the most rewarding and valuable disciplines you put into place. David provides an example of how he did this in Psalm 5 when he says, “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.”
5) Worship is only songs of celebration and victory. False.
Our biblical resource for worship - the Psalms - model worshiping God in the valley, along with the mountaintop. Seventy-Three of the 150 psalms are psalms of lament, including unfiltered raw and negative experiences. Many of these psalms would be far too dark to be sung in our services, but they offer a model to be real in our worship.
In light of these myths and the truth, we need practices which guide us into a pattern of true worship. Here are five practices that you might consider adding to your schedule this week to begin to develop a more robust experience of worship:
1) Schedule a time of worship every day in which you will turn your focus, in a meaningful way, from your feelings and experiences to God. Once you schedule worship on a daily and weekly basis, allow the rest of your schedule to conform around it.
2) Expand your worship experience. Identify a friend who is also a follower of Jesus and participates in a church or uses practices that are very different from yours. When it comes to worship, expanding your experience of worship can give you more resources to draw on in the future.
3) Discover new ways to get a sense of God’s majesty. Read Gary Thomas’ book Sacred Pathways and explore how God has uniquely made you to connect with him in terms of worship. Our sense of awe and wonder about God’s majesty is tied directly to our readiness to worship Him.
4) Review past worship moments. Build a playlist of songs that have been used by God to impact you over the last five to fifteen years. This playlist should not only include the songs that you like, or that feel good; it should also include songs that have taught you about God or sustained you through difficult seasons. In addition to songs, save verses in your Bible app to review when you need to remind yourself of God’s character and promises.
5) Commit to pray in advance of your scheduled worship experiences. Too often, worship becomes a good or experience we consume rather than a prayerful and intentional practice that connects us to God. Preparation and prayer help us to resist the consumeristic bent that marks much of our experience of worship today.
In the comments below, share with us what habits or practices have helped you experience true worship.
Life can feel a little crazy. We’ve created the Air1 Radio app so you can listen to worship music wherever you go. Download the iOS device here, or Android device here.
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three “little savages.” He is the creator of the Free to Forgive Course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com.
