Where to Begin?

Hey folks!

This week on the worship blog, we’ll talk a little bit about varying perspectives when it comes to our worship. In our examination of these points of view, it is my prayer that the Spirit leads each of us to evaluate these perspectives – as well as our own – in light of the truth of Scripture. “The grass withers, and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” Let our hearts and minds be shaped by the Word, because it won’t fail.

Have you ever entered a worship service exhausted? If you have children, I am reasonably certain that the answer is yes. It can seem disconcerting to enter a room, surrounded by people that seem to have things all together, and be expected to raise your voice alongside them in praise and adoration. Imposter syndrome might set in – we can feel like we don’t deserve to sing with the crowd.

Sometimes, we can get bogged down in our experiences. We can’t reconcile how poverty, cancer, or even something like a spilled cup of coffee could be compatible with the goodness of God. Maybe in the middle of those things, big or small, we just don’t get how our worship is important.

Maybe we see music as an issue more than a useful tool. You may have grown up in an unhealthy worship environment, where everyone fought over which type of music was played. It could be that you see music as more harm than good, in an era of greater division than we’ve seen in our lifetimes. Contrarily, you may have seen the impact that music has on unbelievers – you’ve seen it strengthen Biblical roots, and you wonder if we place enough value on the tool.

The key similarity in all of these perspectives is a misplaced origin. A misunderstood beginning.

Worship does not now, nor will it ever, begin with you.

Worship begins with God.

In the beginning, God created. He breathed life into our lungs, and every moment since then He has been entitled to the fullness of our breath. He existed in eternity past, with no needs, and He will continue in eternity future. Our existence and sustenance are based on His providence.

What makes us think that worship is fundamentally something the originates with us? Something that we give Him? In what universe, in the grand design, does THAT make any sense?

The reality is that if our worship is to be genuine, accepted, and life-giving, it must begin and end with Him.

Before we can pour out, we must receive.