Formulas and Formalities: Discovering True Worship

You step into the sanctuary of a church. The five-piece band is playing; bar chords from the electric guitar pierce the air, vocalists sway to the music under the primary colors of the stage lighting, and quarter notes pulse in metronomic fashion from the bass drum and through the sub-woofers. Two coffee makers and a tray of doughnuts sit atop a table draped in a black tablecloth, offering boxes sit near the doors, and rows of comfortably plush seating line the sanctuary floor. Everything seems to be in perfect order. But one thing is missing.

No one is worshiping.

Sure, members of the congregation are singing. Some of them may even be tapping their feet, clapping, or raising their hands. What most of us would describe as modern-day worship is currently taking place, but has our understanding of what is means to truly worship become so narrowly defined as to only include the practice of singing along with a well-rehearsed band in the comfort of million-dollar church structure?

I’m sure I sound at least slightly cynical by this point already, but though this is a topic that has been addressed in so many ways and in such a high frequency, it is still an issue that plagues nearly every church in suburbia.

The heart of the problem is this: we’re too comfortable.

If we were to remove all comfort – every plush seat, the coffee and doughnuts, the fifty-thousand dollar sound system, the blare of the Stratocaster or the pulse of the drums, the air-conditioning, the carpeting, or even the building entirely – would we still worship? Would we still have a desire to praise our King, even if it cost us our comfort and caused us to step away from our comfortable suburban lives? What if all we had was an acoustic guitar, or better yet, no instruments at all? What if all we had was a run-down warehouse with dirt floors and no climate control?

We are too comfortable with the routine and formalities of our church today. We arrive at church a few minutes late, grab a doughnut and some coffee, sit with our friends, sing a few songs and listen to a few points the pastor makes using a PowerPoint presentation. We put a check in for offering (or not), say a few goodbyes, and head home to spend the rest of our day off in peace. Most church services last anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. I can’t remember the last time I spent more than ninety minutes at a church service. Church service often begins with two to four upbeat songs delivered by the worship team. The pastor then communicates the next installment of the current sermon series, followed by another song or two by the worship team, with the pastor’s prayers timed perfectly with the outro of the last song.

I want to attack this issue from both sides – from the audience’s point of view and also from the worship band’s side. As spectators in a sanctuary full of other comfortable Christians, it can be easy to simply sing a few songs while dismissing the gravity of the words sung; to clap a few times and to tap your foot during your favorite song; but the fact that these habits come with such ease embodies the exact problem I am discussing. 

Comfort.

Routine.

Both stand in opposition to you as a worshiper of the king. We know what we are going to encounter when we walk into a sanctuary. We know all of the songs, we probably know what the pastor is going to talk about, and we know that we only have to sit in church for less than ninety minutes. We are usually thinking about what we are going to have for lunch or about the game that is on that afternoon. Our hearts aren’t prepared, and we aren’t necessarily concerned about them being prepared, because lately church has been just a formality full of formulas. We know what to expect, and we know that we likely won’t be challenged in any significant way on any given Sunday. 

Church is easy.

A big part of the problem our churches face today is the definition of church that we have come to understand. “Church” in its purest form, does not involve a white steeple building (or more often than not, a state of the art, multi-million dollar infrastructure). As it is described in the New Testament, we, as followers of Christ, are the church. There is no mention of a building. It is simply the gathering of lovers of Christ in fellowship with each other and in praising the one true King (1 Cor. 12:27). As followers of Christ, we are to serve others in both love and works, helping both our brothers and the poor. Church should not be confined to be within the four walls of a building, it should be at work in the community and around the world, which brings me to my next point.

Worship is not simply the act of singing songs with other members of a congregation. Though singing is certainly encompassed by the definition of worship and is an integral part of it, it is not the only aspect of worship. As followers of Christ, we are called to worship not only with our voices, but with our lives.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is true worship.”

-Romans 12:1

As you likely noticed, worship is not a one-dimensional act. We are to sacrifice our bodies – every ounce of ourselves – for the Kingdom of heaven. Church is not easy. It involves breaking our own bodies and giving up our own lives in pursuit of a greater calling. It involves sacrificing your material possessions, your time, your comfort – everything you have – in order to truly worship.

In more literal terms, this means that one must give up any desire to be comfortable in both the sanctuary and the streets. Give up time during the week to dive headlong into the Word. Spend as much time as possible in prayer. Learn to hear His Voice. Pray specifically for the worship that morning. Ask God to prepare your heart to worship Him, not only for Sunday morning, but for every day of the week. We can worship Him in nearly unlimited ways in our lives – from helping a brother in need to simply thanking Him for the beauty of the landscape – but Sunday mornings are one of the few times that we are able to share a room with so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ, all worshiping the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. What a beautiful act of worship: gathering with other believers and singing to an audience of One.

So get on your knees. Lie face down. Allow the posture of your body to reflect the posture of your heart. There is no “right” way to worship. Show Him your love – He deserves so much, and so much more. How in love with Him are you? Show Him.

Now for the worship team. We have all been given gifts to either sing or play an instrument or both, and we have been given these gifts for a reason – to bring glory to God. But as members of the team we have the responsibility to bring the church into the throne room of the King. This means that we can’t simply show up on Sunday morning, play a few chords and sing a few lines, and expect others -- especially ourselves -- to be able to truly worship. It is incredibly easy to focus solely on the technical aspects of worship; hitting the right notes, being on tempo, and being in sync with the other members of the band. While it’s obvious that these are still important details in a time of worship, they are not the most important.


 

In order for the team to be able to lead others in worship, we must first already be in the act of worship, both on Sunday morning and during the week. We cannot expect to be able to lead others if we cannot first lead ourselves. We have to be in the Word and in prayer just as much or even more than others. I know that most churches focus primarily on the musical abilities of an individual on the team, and not also on his spiritual practices. I know this from personal experience.

I used to have (and may still have) the innate ability to fake my way though many situations; more specifically, in church. I was asked to join the worship team at a church that I once attended because I played drums and acoustic guitar. I had the ability to play two instruments, but I was not passionate when it came to my relationship with my Father. Looking back, I hardly consider myself to have been a Christian at that time. I certainly looked like I loved Jesus, but my actions outside of church said otherwise. The thing is, that worship team never got together to discuss our relationships either with each other or with God. (And to be clear, I am not trying to speak poorly of this church – I love the people that make up this particular church – I am just stating what occurred.) I went several years as a phony Christian leading the congregation. And we were certainly able to enter into worship on occasion, but I never really understood the responsibilities that came along with leading the church in entering into worship. God can use even those who live like He doesn’t exist, but I think it is an important detail to address. Being a worship leader requires a higher level of commitment on the part of the team.

That being said, even if each member is committed to a higher level of responsibility, it still does not mean that meaningful worship will follow. If the band plays a few good songs and people are singing along, worship has not necessarily occurred. Some people may have been able to enter into worship because they have prepared their hearts, but worship is not a formula. If the band plays well and people enjoy the songs, that is not enough. We, as both the band and the congregation, must rid ourselves of any notions of the world surrounding us. We need to leave our worries at the door and choose to focus on only the King and nothing else. We should feel free to worship as we feel led, unconcerned with the way people may react around us. Our hearts should be unencumbered and open to His Voice and the movement of the Spirit. I feel like many members of the church simply show up, sing a few songs, and leave, unaffected by what just took place. Worship should energize you, it should affect your heart on a deep level, and it should cause you to love out of the overflow of your heart.

Worship is not a formula. There are no guarantees except one. Enter into worship with a prepared heart and a clear mind, worship Him like He is the only one watching, and allow yourself to show your love for Him, and then you will experience true worship.