The word “worship” means to ascribe worth to God. He alone is worthy of the praise, adoration, submission, reverence, prayer, giving, singing and respect His people can show Him.
Worship can be public, as in our gatherings, or private. In corporate worship, the pulpit is usually at the center of the platform in our churches. That design reflects the centrality of God’s Word in our heritage of worship. Baptists have typically tried to focus on the reading and preaching of the Bible, prayer, music, testimonies, the offering, and our two powerful worship ordinances — baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
David Dockery, president of Trinity International University and president emeritus of Union University, said that corporate worship should have at least three essential and important traits: a significant emphasis on reading the Word of God and hearing it preached; a high degree of congregational involvement in praise, prayer, singing, giving and confession; and a view of the ordinances that affirm their mystery and value for spiritual formation.
The preaching of the Word and music should not be two separate parts of a service, but rather the ongoing worship of God through two different means. Martin Luther is known as a theologian, but he was also a musician and a songwriter. He said, “Music is God’s greatest gift. I put it next to theology and give it the highest praise.”
While we would consider congregational singing something in which we can participate, we often do not look at the preaching of the Word in the same way. Luther also wrote: “When I declare the Word of God, I offer sacrifice. When you hear the Word of God with all your heart, you also offer sacrifice.”
To think of worship as a sacrifice offering can help us in our response to the worthiness of God. Whether it is singing, listening, giving or praying, we can be actively engaged in worship. John Frame, who in addition to being a professor of philosophy and theology is also a talented pianist and organist, writes: “Worship is not one segment of the Christian life among others. Worship is the entire Christian life, seen as a priestly offering to God. And when we meet together as a church, our time of worship is not merely a preliminary to something else; rather it is the whole point of our existence as the body of Christ.” John Piper echoed the same idea when he wrote that “worship is what we were created for.”
The things that are done — like preaching, singing, etc. — are not, in fact, worship, but are encouragements to help us genuinely worship. The elements of worship should be done well, because a child of God is called to do everything to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Warren Wiersbe writes: “No amount of spirituality can compensate for lack of ability, just as no amount of ability can compensate for lack of devotion to Christ.”
John Wesley, who encouraged preachers to put fire in their sermons or put their sermons in the fire, also warned Christians of “singing as if we are half-dead.”
Judson Cornwall, in his book, “The Elements of Worship,” writes: “Worship cannot occur until there is a consciousness of being in the presence of God; and that may come during the singing, or the giving, or the praying, or the preaching of the Word.”
We often hear the term “worship wars.” It is usually a way of describing different styles or methods in worship, particularly related to music or how we “do” corporate worship. The church has typically been resistant to something new, especially related to music. When Handel’s “Messiah” was first released, it was not enthusiastically accepted because many people in the church thought it was irreverent and too secular.
Today we face an array of options in music or our styles of worship (contemporary, traditional, blended, etc.). Worship, in whatever form we corporately attempt to do it, is first and foremost a response of the heart to the worth of Almighty God. If we can get that part right, the rest will fall into place.