Jeremy L. Berg

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him” (Romans 12:1).

It’s a New Year, and I’m tired of singing worship songs. Can a pastor admit that? Let me explain.

As a teenager, I remember well being lifted into the presence of God through powerful music-led worship times. Camp worship brought goosebumps and tears. In high school my friends and I drove 80 miles round trip to Bethel University every Sunday night for their student-led Vespers worship service. The Holy Spirit was actively at work in my heart during those times. I believe those were real encounters with God, but was it always “worship”?

I went on to become a “worship leader” in college for a youth group for some time. My duty was to teach middle schoolers how to “worship”, and then lead them into “worship” through such classics as “Here I Am To Worship”, “Open the Eyes of My Heart”, “Heart of Worship” and, of course, some “Pharaoh, Pharaoh” and “Blind Man” for good measure.

After several years of playing, leading, and singing worship songs, the emotionalism began to fade. I now rarely shed tears or get raptured into the presence of God during the 15 minutes of singing before the sermon each Sunday. And it’s not for lack of inspiring, moving music led by amazingly talented and God-centered worship leaders and musicians.

Perhaps you know what it’s like some Sunday mornings to just mouth the words and go through the motions even when your heart is not in it. In such moments we often experience feelings of guilt and spiritual inferiority.  “Why isn’t my heart into it?” “Am I just going through the motions?” We feel ashamed and unfocused.  What to do?

Maybe if we just focus harder on the words and try harder to “get into it” we can recapture those warm, fuzzy feelings of yesterday. Sometimes this “works” and we do “get into it” — whatever that means.  Other times we still end up mouthing words only to feel even more like an inauthentic “faker.”

But is this the only way to go about it?  I have chosen a different path of late. I have gone back to Scripture and asked, What is true worship anyway? What kind of worship does God desire?  Is singing the only way — or even primary way — to worship God?  Furthermore, how and why has singing gained a monopoly on the church’s corporate expression of worship?

Scriptures like the one above, remind us that “worship” is about honoring, reverencing, praising and communing with the Holy God — no matter what we’re doing.  It is entirely appropriate to use song and music to do this.  This is one clear way to individually and corporately declare God’s praises and offer our songs of thanksgiving to the Lord. The Psalms are a collection of individual and corporate songs of praise and thanksgiving. So, sing even when you don’t feel like it.  The words are still true.

Yet, I have gained great freedom and been released from unnecessary self-inflicted guilt by another realization: We all experience the majesty of God and draw near to Him in our own unique ways and our own unique places.  Even though “church services” have adopted singing as the universal expression of worship we dare not believe that singing = worship. Worship is much, MUCH broader and bigger than praise choruses and hymns.

Some worship God with their voice and encounter Him at a Christian concert.

Some worship God with their minds and encounter Him by reading, writing and teaching His Word.

Some worship God on a mountain top and encounter Him camping under the stars or talking to Him as the sun rises on the horizon.

Some worship God with their hands and encounter Him in creating art that displays His beauty.

Some worship God with their daily interactions with others as they encounter God in their fellowship with others — parents loving children, teachers enlightening students and so on.

While the goosebumps don’t come while singing these days, I personally get shivers running up my spine reading a good book on theology that begins capture in words the glorious mysteries of God and his marvelous redemptive plan set in motion through Christ Jesus.  That’s where I encounter God most powerfully now. These are moments that move me to worship.  Writing and blogging is one way I soak myself in God’s Truth and commune with Him regularly.

How about you?  Where do you encounter God?  How do you like to worship Him?

So, alas, true biblical worship is not primarily about those occasional “holy moments” at church camp or an awe-inspiring teary-eyed sunset on a Boundary Waters canoe trip. In fact, there is a dangerous tendency today to mistake emotionalism with authentic worship. The worship that God desires is summed up in this great New Year’s verse from Romans 12:1.  Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase puts it like this: “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”

The passage goes on to clarify that “this is your reasonable act of service” or worship.  Some translations (e.g., NIV) have “This is your spiritual act of worship.”  The word “spiritual” is misleading. The Greek word is “logikos” which is perhaps better translated as “reasonable” or “rational” or “informed.”  Thus, some interpreters such as Douglas Moo argue that Paul is warning against a kind of worship that is detached from a rational, informed knowledge of the God we are worshiping and the truths we celebrate. In sum, God isn’t pleased with empty displays of emotionalism, conjured up tears, and warm fuzzies in worship.  True worship comes from hearts and minds that have accurately grasped the goodness of God and with an informed mind respond with praise, gratitude and joy in the presence of our awesome God — whether through song, art, athletic gifts, God-given intellect, relationships and more.

God wants our entire lives to be “living sacrifices” that produce a sweet aroma to God and others — daily, constantly, in big things and small.  Worship isn’t a Sunday morning thing.  It’s not a camp thing. It’s not always a singing thing. Worship is a heart turned toward God in reverence and awe, with a desire to serve, obey and honor Him with our everyday lives set apart to God as a living sacrifice.

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matt 15:8).

May your heart be drawn close to God this year and may He give you the courage and desire to live a life of true worship!