worship

We know from Scripture that God is sovereign – that He reigns over His creation. Job recognized God’s sovereignty in Job 42:2: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

In Lamentations 3:37-38 we read, “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”

Paul points to God’s sovereignty when he writes in Acts 4:27-28, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

God not only created the universe, He’s actively involved in working out His good plans.

Now, I recognize that people have different opinions on the degree to which God directs and sometimes overrides people’s freedom of choice. However, I think that most Christians would accept that God is working out His ultimate plans regardless of how much our choices seem to affect those plans in the moment.

So, as Christians, what happens to us as we increasingly worship God as sovereign? How does worshipping God as the One who is firmly established on His throne and who is intricately involved in the affairs of the world influence the way we live?

In Psalm 46, we see the One who is our refuge and strength even when everything else is falling apart. The One whose voice can melt the earth. The One who brings desolations and ends wars. The One who reigns supreme says to us, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

We can be still, we can stop striving, because God is sovereign. We can rest in Him and experience His peace. No matter what happens today, God is still working out His plans.

The church board might descend into bitter conflict. A trusted friend might betray you. A family member may make a terrible choice. Your health might take a turn for the worse. You may face what seems like an unsolvable problem. The situation may seem so overwhelming that you feel like you’re slipping under the waves.

Every action is an act of worship. A selfish act is self-worship where we’ve put ourselves over God and others. We sometimes idolize others or even stuff and these become our heart focus. Worship is what we set our hearts on – what or who is the most important at any given point in time and this heart-set expresses itself through our thoughts, words and actions.

Of course, God wants to be the One we worship. Hebrews 13:15-16 says this about worship: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” We worship God with our lips and an accompanying lifestyle that reflects the heart of God.

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” As we orient and offer all that we are and all that we do to God with a pure heart, we worship Him.

This is worship and as Christians, we’re called, first and foremost, to worship God. Living in and for Christ, whether it’s at work, school, or in our hidden places, is worship.

One might ask, “How does our worship affect God? Why is it so important to Him?” The Psalmist in Psalm 99 connects exalting God with our worship of Him. When God is number one in our lives and this reality is apparent in the way we live, we lift God up for all to see. He receives the glory and honour that He deserves.

How does our worship of God influence the world around us? When we’re focused on God, when our lives are consecrated to Him and His service, it’s a powerful witness to those in our sphere of influence. People are drawn to Jesus as they see him in us.

So, how does actually worshipping God change us?

"Why are you going to seminary to study worship? All a song leader needs to do is open the hymnal and choose 3 songs." 

My aunt said this to me just before my family and I moved to Eastern Mennonite Seminary in 1994. I was pursuing a church leadership degree with a focus on congregational worship and music. My wife and I have often chuckled about her words. Yet they stay with me for two reasons. First, I'm sad that my aunt didn't understand what I wanted to learn. Second, I think congregational singing is often an underappreciated means of forming one another as Jesus' apprentices. 

In November, Mennonite Brethren from across Canada will meet in Abbotsford for the biennial Equip Study Conference. This year's theme is "Transforming Discipleship." According to the preparatory materials, "A growing disciple is one who is being transformed in such a way that the deeds of Jesus, done in the power of Jesus, become an increasingly natural way of life." Simply put, a disciple is an apprentice of Jesus. 

According to Paul in the New Testament, believers gather regularly to build up the church and each other (1 Corinthians 14). Another writer teaches that believers meet to provoke each other to love and to do good deeds; they also meet to encourage each other (Hebrews 10:24-25). Since singing has been a part of Christian meetings since the church began (cf. Ephesians 5:19a), I'm prompted to ask, "How does singing build up the church? And how does singing train apprentices?"