Defining Worship (Part 2)

Recently I watched a string of tweets from spectators at a recent concert featuring Derek Webb. For those of you who don’t know who Derek Webb is, do a google search and get familiar. The singer-songwriter has been known for making waves in the Christian sub-culture with his often blunt and engaging lyrics on the church's inability to handle "uncomfortable" social and spiritual topics. Sometimes political, sometimes religious, sometimes both, Webb has been known to ruffel feathers.

So it was no surprise to hear criticism of his performance. Since I wasn’t at the concert, I don’t know everything he said or the exact songs he sang, but I do know his music and based on the criticisms, I feel I'm making a safe assumption.

Normally I wouldn't have thought much about the criticisms, but these caught my attention - In regards to Webb's performance,

  "it was just strange-his songs didn't glorify God, & the rest of the concert b4 & after him were worshipful. he had an agenda." 

So in short, he did not glorify God with his songs and in contrast to everyone else, it was not worshipful and had an agenda. For all intents and purposes, isn't even being a worship music leader all about having an agenda? When Webb did not respond to this tweet he was then called a coward by another tweeter. Strange how the Christian subculture works, huh?

Here’s the thing - if Webb (and I make the assumption he does), writes, performs, sings and speaks truth with a sincere and genuine heart lead by the Holy Spirit - then I tend to think, regardless of whether or not I agree with his stance on issues - that He is worshipping God. And if he has an agenda while performing - isn't that the point of performing? Art to the Artist is all about sharing a unique, God-given insight and perspective about life that you want others to see, appreciate, or consider. I can't help but think God smiles upon humanity sharing in that dialogue.

This leads to another issue with the criticism. When we start judging the value of art on how “worshipful” and “edifying” (terms I hear often) we feel it to be, then we aren’t even listening with worshiping hearts. Whether or not Webb’s lyrics are about abortion, poltics, and homosexuality or butterflies, flowers, and blue skies - if it challenges my Christian worldview and makes me open up the Word of God - than it’s edifying and worshipful. Whether or not I agree or find his tone offensive - to be so smug as to qualify it as good or bad based on whether or not it's worshipful or edifying is downright arrogant. The product of someone’s worship is not mine to judge, define, or quantify in value.

The same is true when we come into God’s presence through corporate song on Sunday mornings. Too often we make excuses for not wanting to turn our heart’s attention to God because of preferences, bad attitudes, and simply laziness. A lot of the reason is because we come on Sunday mornings without having taken a single second to prepare our spirit to Worship God and learn from His word. That’s the pastors’ jobs, right? Wrong.  

The purpose of Sunday morning music is not to prepare or soften your heart to hear God’s word during the Sermon. That’d be what we call: manipulation. The purpose of Sunday morning music is to glorify God together as a body. The purpose of the Sunday morning sermon is not to be your Sunday devotion. It is to teach, challenge, guide, and edify the body of Christ together as one local body.

My challenge to you - Throw out your expectations and preferences, stop your waiting, and enough with the spiritual arrogance. It’s time to worship in the Spirit and in truth. That's who the Father is calling us to be and that's the kind of worshiper He desires. Take the time to prepare yourself to worship Him. The more time you take to prepare and train, the more equipped you will be when the world around you is crumbling.

Prepare your hearts to enter into his throne room.

Prepare your spirit to turn it’s affections to God.

Prepare yourselves to worship.

Prepare ye the way for the Lord.

Prepare ye the way for the Kingdom.

- Dan Smith - 
dan@readingcitychurch.com
dan@thesmithfactory.com