Please note that this is directed at evangelical Christians. If, as a non-evangelical, you take exception to something I say, please understand that the scope of this discussion is limited to those who hold to those of the evangelical Christian persuasion (for more, read the basics here). If you are an evangelical Christian and you take exception to what I say, I fully recognize that I am no final authority; God's Word is. In either case, I would love to hear your thoughts.
I tread into the murky waters of worship. How tragic is that? It's not tragic that I discuss worship but that adoration of the One True God has become a murky, controversial, divisive topic. It's the one thing that should unify us, but it has become the source of much pain for the children of the Heavenly Father.
I won't attempt to cover all or even some of the bases here. There is one issue that has been rolling around in my mind and I wanted to put this out there. I wonder whether the form of worship we choose is our desire or our demand?
Depending on your denomination, personality, tastes, upbringing, placement on the map, culture and countless other factors, you have a mental image of what worship should be for you. Rock band or Gregorian chant (not belabouring that point), a particular incense or a ban on any smells at all, communion every week or only once a year, liturgical dance or sitting perfectly still, special ceremonies or none at all... you get the picture. We all have things that what we want to see in worship. I'm going to be so bold as to say our opinions don't matter.
The only thing that matters is that God is honoured above all and people clearly understand that. When we infuse our "needs" into worship, it ceases to be worship. We do not need any worship aids; we only need the truth of the Bible and a heart to meet with Him in prayer. It's all God gave us and it's all He requires. We might desire worship aids that reflect who we are and especially who we are before Him. If we demand any of those things, have we not wrapped our selfish little claws around this thing called "worship" and turned it into a love fest for the sinful nature?
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