Worshiping Worship

I love to worship. I really love it. I love music. I love making melody to God. I love singing his praises. But notice that I have carefully separated worship, music, and singing. Why? Because God makes that distinction. Music can be worship. Singing can be worship. And worship can be music and/or singing. And let it be known that there can be worship without any of the above.

The church has had lots of confusion in the last 50 years. That confusion comes mostly from not seeing things from God’s perspective. All too often we see it from our perspective, not His. Our perspectives are limited by the blinders of our finite mind. The song-writer said, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus we’ll sing and shout the victory.” When we get there the blinders will be off. The view we have through a glass darkly will fade away and we will see clearly. The image will come into focus and we will see Him clearly.

Let me assure you, it is possible to see through that glass at times, getting clear glances from this side of glory. But to do that we must abandon our ideas and opinions and see His way!

Unfortunately in the last 50 years worship has become the focus rather than one of the vehicles to reach Him. It has become an end not a means. It is possible to have great worship but fail to have a contact with the one we worship. And in doing that we have abandoned the object of our worship, the Lord God Jehovah. He has said, “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” But we have at times erected a god, not one of wood, stone, brass, silver and gold, but one of vocal cords, strings, reeds, and electronic circuits. As one who has done nearly four decades of sound reinforcement and recording in church settings I am well aware any of us can cross the line and worship the means.

But this need not and should not be.

Let us keep our minds and hearts on Him. Let us understand that He is and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, not those who seek dynamic worship or even seek to create dynamic worship. Let me assure you, I love that worship. But more than that, I love Him.

One of the songs that comes to mind when I see someone striving for the greatest worship is one I learned as a boy in tent meetings. It is so simple. It is so uncomplicated. It is to a melody written by Stephen Foster. I have been unable to find an author’s name. But it is a tribute to what happens to a life that is caught up in Him.

Gone from my heart the world and all its charm;

Gone are my sins and all that would alarm;

Gone evermore, and by His grace I know

The precious blood of Jesus cleanses white as snow.

Chorus:

I love Him, I love Him, because He first loved me,

And purchased my salvation on Calv’ry’s tree.

2. Once I was lost upon the plains of sin;

Once was a slave to doubts and fears within;

Once was afraid to trust a loving God,

But now my guilt is washed away in Jesus’ blood.

Chorus:

3. Once I was bound, but now I am set free;

Once I was blind, but now the light I see;

Once I was dead, but now in Christ I live,

To tell the world the peace that he alone can give.

Chorus:

3(alternate) Once I was bound but now I am set free,

Once I was blind but now the light I see,

Once was afraid to meet an angry God,

But now I am set free from sin through jesus’ blood.

Chorus:

That song says it all.