A Word from Pastor Ben

“In worship human beings recognize God for his attributes and express this through adoration, praise, thanksgiving, service, and living holy lives.”¹

Growing up, I always viewed worship as what we did at church on Sundays and Wednesdays and in the car with a Christian worship artist playing over the radio. Yet, I had a poor view of worship, as many do in Christian churches. In the following newsletters, I would like to highlight the different ways we worship. Let’s discuss music in this month’s newsletter for a few minutes.

Music is one of the most challenging topics that fills church pews. Music is highly personal, and the music we enjoy is definitively personal. Some appreciate and enjoy a broad variety of music, yet this is not normative. We all have music that appeals to us. An article from verywellmind.com showcased a study on how some have connected music to personalities and age. While there is not enough data in this field of research to make definitive claims, the research seems to indicate personality and music genre are at least somewhat connected, even if it is just loosely. However, the subject is up for debate.

Another aspect to consider with music is that it is associated with health, mood, social connection, relaxation, cognitive functions, and even identity, to name a few. Spotify, the largest music streaming platform in the world (according to statistic.com), claims that music “more than any other media, has strong ties to our emotions: music communicates emotion, stirs memory, affects mood, and spurs creativity.”² In 1 Samuel 16:14-23, we see the impact music has on relieving King Saul of his torment from the evil spirit; verse 23 states, “23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (CSB). It is music that soothed his mind. In other words, music moves people.

If the various research available is accurate, then every church member has different music genres that move them to a place where they can have a “worshipful experience.” Yet, this leads to a difficult question: “Are we truly worshipping God in those moments, or are we worshipping a style of music?” While we all might connect better with specific musical arrangements, does that define worship? I don’t think so. I’d plead for people to consider the words they are singing far more than the style in which the music is arranged. Of course, we want our arrangements to be made with excellence, and we want our instrumentalists to play worshipfully for the glory of God, which is a form of worship. Also, we are to be reverent, and our focus should be to glorify God. Yes, there is a wrong way to conduct ourselves in worship. Yet, the words are at the heart of worship. For example, let’s say we take a song glorifying evil, which is the vast majority of secular music, and arrange it to fit the mold of “traditional” hymnal music and sing it in church. It would be worship. It would be worship of the sin, not of God! It has no place in the church. The point is that worship music should prioritize spiritually rich words.

Ultimately, worship music in the church does not hinge on music arrangement but on the significance of the words we are singing and the posture of our worship. Some of the most catchy songs today do not pass the test because the words do not communicate Biblical truth. They are emotive and personal, without proper and faithful theology. Honestly, this is not unique to modern music, either. It has been an issue for centuries.

Equally important is the posture that we take in worship. When we “worship” without passion and full awareness of our words, we are not worshipping. Far too many churches have lip service but no heart or passion in their worship. They might sing, but it doesn’t come from the depth of their heart. They might raise their hands, but they are unsure of the meaning behind their singing. It might sound unbelievable, counterproductive, and even outlandish. Still, there should be days where all we can do is weep because we are hurting and need Jesus’ healing to touch our souls as the saints testify in song for God’s glorious work, and we embrace the words in prayer and silence. Then, on other days, we are on the mountaintop declaring the mighty works of God through singing. There should be Sundays when we celebrate and raise our voices loud for God’s glory.

The book of Psalms is our playbook. They are a collection of the worship songs of the people of Israel. They point to God, give him glory, and reveal the heart of humanity and even the struggles of God’s people. They are decrees for God to move. They are God’s inspired songs about himself and his work amongst his people. From their example, I believe we understand what church worship should be. Theologically rich testimonies of God’s work, grace, redemptive work, power, glory, how God is working in our lives, cries for God to move in our midst; in other words, our songs should glorify God, proclaiming his faithfulness and draw us to the foot of the cross.

First, worship is posture before the Lord. Let’s come to worship expecting to hear God glorified, with freedom, knowing that it is appropriate to go to the altar to cry, pray, and praise God, even in times of singing. It is okay to allow the words to wash over us as we meditate on the glory of God; it is okay to raise our hands praising God from the depth of our hearts regardless of our singing ability. Before we begin worship, we should ask ourselves a few questions: Are we coming to him with our hearts fixated on our need for Jesus and his glory? Are we focused on Jesus and his work in our lives? What do we need to bring to Jesus? What unconfessed sins are hindering our worship?

Second, it is the words we sing. While it is easy to fall into the temptation to read the words on paper or screen and to forget the power behind the words, we should focus on the message, the story we are testifying of God as we proclaim songs of praise to God. Remember that the words we are signing are being lifted to God on his throne. They are testifying of God and his works. Unfortunately, because it is so easy to slip into going through the motions of worship, we must remain diligent in asking a few questions: Are we focusing on what we are signing? Are we understanding the song’s message and the Scripture backing the words?

Third, I want to provide a word of caution and awareness. There is a real issue regarding worship music in the church. The danger is that we become so focused on the music, programming, and music events that they become idols in our hearts. We become so engrossed in how we want or desire things to be that we lose sight of the purpose of worship: glorifying God. Frankly, this danger of making the item, ministry, or activity used for worshipping God into an idol is a real danger in the church, even outside of music. We absolutely must not make worship about us; it is about God and his work. It is the pursuit of recognizing God for all his glory and work.

Fourth, worship is far more than music. I wrestled with where to begin this series. To be totally trans-parent, I’m not sure how many parts this will have, but it will at least have two parts. Yet, I figured music would be a good place to begin. It is what is most often associated with worship, even though that understanding misses out on so much splendor of true worship. It is a vital part of our Sunday morning time together. Music is such a splendid and glorious gift from God, and what better way to start a series on glorifying God through worship than to talk about music? But don’t forget, worship is more than a song; it is a life lived.

1. Ed Smither, “Worship in the Life of the Church,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
2. https://research.atspotify.com/2020/12/just-the-way-you-are-music-listening-and-personality/