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Connecting with Holistic Worship
Written by Dave Schnitter
Friday, 10 April 2009 10:41
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As I reflected on that conversation I became convicted that what I said was complete nonsense. I realized that there is something not quite right about the way we “do worship”. I wonder now if we may be the most deceived generation of all, because instead of being what we call “the great worship generation”, we are the generation of consumers of styles of worship music. Is this what we want our legacy to be? I wonder if instead of being consumers we are to be consumed in the worship for the glory of God. Then worship becomes so much more than just a musical style; it becomes a lifestyle of adoration, justice, and evangelism. For too long, the Church of Jesus has separated these three from one another. We thought that adoration is what we do inside the church building, evangelism is what we do out on the streets, and justice is what the liberals do. But now it seems as if God is infusing a consciousness in our hearts to bring the three back together because they belong together.
Justice: In Hebrews 13:15-16 we are reminded that a God-pleasing sacrifice of praise is more than just the fruit of our lips, praising God with songs of adoration. Worship also includes doing good and sharing with others. This goes beyond human compassion or Christian obligation, it is about giving meaning to the songs that we sing by the lives we live. Because we love Jesus we care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, advocate the undefended, befriend with the misfit, aid the addicted, speak for the voiceless, and make sure that everyone is empowered, led, and seen. With such sacrifices God is pleased. Evangelism: For many, telling others about Jesus is something a good Christian just ought to do. But if our motivation to evangelize finds its roots in worship it comes naturally as an overflow of love. Evangelism that does not come out of worship is simply legalism. In much of our evangelism we have been shouting, “Jesus is the answer,” to a people who are not asking the question. Our lives of worship need to raise the questions in them. We have to earn a hearing by not only preaching about heaven but also by giving a glimpse of heaven. Worship is a glimpse of heaven.
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A few weeks ago I talked with an elderly lady from my church and she expressed her concern about the worship in our services. She asked me what happened to the old and meaningful songs and why we don't sing them anymore. She was obviously hurt, so I tried to kindly explain to her that we had to sacrifice the songs of her youth in order to be relevant to the young people today.
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