On Worship & Excellence

There are many core values within Christianity as a whole. One is these is worship. All Christians, while holding different views of how it is to be done, everywhere agree that worship is so central to the Christian experience that it cannot be done away with. Our worship is an acknowledgement and response to the person, greatness and holiness of God.

Being Raised an apostolic pentecostal, I grew up with this great inescapable awareness that worship was incredibly important. Every so often you would hear preaching on the subject. This message would almost always highlight these points:

• The importance of worship
• Passion in worship (giving God your all)
• The blessing of worship.

Anyone familiar with Apostolic or Pentecostal churches will know that the second point is in fact a huge part of our identity. We so treasure giving God our everything (heart, mind soul and strength) that our worship is very demonstrative. Pentecostal worship includes various physical expressions such as shouting, clapping, jumping, dancing and signing. We give God everything we have physically. Our worship is Exuberant.

I have thought about it for a while now and am led to the conclusion that one often ignored point of worship is excellence. This is particularly interesting to me, especially considering the fact that scripture speaks so much on the topic. One of the most obvious examples of this is found in the records of the Old Testament Prophet Malachi:

Mal 1:6-14
6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the Lord's table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
ESV

One may question the relevance of such a scripture to Christian worship, but I believe it presents itself many times in our worship music. I have heard many people bring the argument that it does matter if the signing is off key and off beat as long as its anointed and touches somebody. I have also heard many defenses of a poorly planned worship service with poor musicianship and music. Sadly all these arguments have NO backing from scripture, especially this text.

Every time I hear one of those arguments I cringe, people are essentially saying, firstly that worship's goal is to bless us, ignoring that it is all about God. God is to be blessed not us, we deserve no blessing, but only receive blessings because of his grace that we recognize in worship. Additionally the arguments leave me with the impression that God has to accept anything. Its kind of a take it or leave it attitude. This does not seem like a right attitude to approach the creator of the universe with.

It is sad that we now posses this attitude when there was once a time when all art forms were dominated by Christians and were great expressions of Christian truth. Nowadays the word Christian before anything seems to suggest mediocrity. To quote a phrase I've heard somewhere "Why does the devil have to have all the good music?"

We must never forget the account of the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon's Kingdom in Israel. She was in awe of many things, among which was his assent into the Temple for worship. Seeing this left her breathless an marveling. Solomon had an excellence in everything he did and had gotten an excellence for worship from his father, the one who wrote these words that should be the worship leaders motto:

Ps 33:1-3
Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
ESV

How Do You Pray in 2010

It’s the new year and many of us have had time to reflect on our lives both naturally but more importantly spiritually. Many have determined to read the bible through and even pray more. The desire to do these things must be commended and I will begin by doing just that: I commend all who have begun the year by putting increased emphasis on their spiritual well being.

Prayer is one of the foundational practices of almost all religions. People everywhere pray to “god”. This , however may be the only similarity because a true examination of theses prayers reveals that everything else is different; One begins with the very being being prayed to and continue to the manner in which the prayer is being prayed and see there is a world of a difference between the true Christian and the heathen. (Or is there?)

During my time in and around church I have heard much preaching and teaching on this subject. Many a man of God will quote the words of Paul “First of all PRAYER” or even the words of Jesus “Men ought always to pray and not faint” I have heard that we should rise early and devote time to seeking God because David said “Early will I seek You”. Beloved these word are right and must be headed.

I must say with sadness however, that in all the preaching and teaching on prayer, it is rarely that you would hear one expound Jesus’ teaching on the subject. Jesus says some words that put shocks on any Pentecostals prayer life. They are words that after reading and considering them, I have changed the way I prayed because I realized my prayer had become no different from the bushmen in Africa.

Matt 6:7-9 ESV
7 "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matt 6:7-8 KJV
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

I will be honest, allot of my fiery Pentecostal prayers have been just that – Vain repetitions & empty phrases. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, JESUS, LOOOOOOORD, God touch, Touch Lord, With Your mighty power Lord, With Your mighty power Lord, With Your mighty power Lord, With Your mighty power LORD, In Jesus Name, In Jesus Name, In Jesus Name, In Jesus Name” Sound familiar? That’s just what Jesus said don’t do.

Some would question that these verses speak of this and suggest Jesus is speaking of reciting prayers like many denominations do. This however is not what the Gentiles did, they were known for reciting mantras in their idol worship.

A casual reader of the scripture will observe that many biblical prayers are actually recorded. Their language is clear and sometimes even poetic. The pray-ers of these prayers used their brains as well as their hearts. The words were well thought out. They expressed to God the desires of their hearts, the seriousness and desperation of their situation and what they wanted God to do for them. At the end of one such prayer in Acts 4, the building shook by the power of God and the disciples were re-filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

One reason why repetitious prayer may be so common is that it is so easy to do. We can (as my father would say) go into auto-pilot and still feel excitement. It does not take much really to this. In truth, we have not expressed everything to God. We do sound spiritual though, because our repeated words are spoken in crescendo and we very often do feel God’s spirit in them.

I urge anyone trying to move up in their prayer life to move pass the repetition of religious words and start really talking to God. This of course will be difficult and strange at first but you will find it well worth it in the end.