Some Thoughts on Worship  

One thing I’m sure on which most church leaders would agree (an amazing statement in itself!), is that disagreements concerning worship are some of the most divisive elements in the life of a Christian fellowship.  By “worship” in this instance, I’m speaking of the act of worshiping together in song as a body of believers in Jesus. As a songwriter, musician and worship leader, I’ve had the blessing of bouncing around the world a bit and watching God work through this beautiful medium and heavenly language we call music. I’ve seen it everywhere from mansions and churches that cost millions, to street corners, bar rooms, prisons, and mud huts. Even a chicken coop once! God has given us an incredible gift called music, and music is powerful. Music makes us feel, and it makes us feel passionately.  

I often have people (mostly nice ones) approach me after a service or concert to give me their thoughts on worship. What they like, what they don’t like, what form it should or shouldn’t take. While I welcome the input and the opportunity to make new friends, one thing never changes. It seems that for every two Christians there are at least three opinions, and somehow (a mystery for the ages) they’re all 100%, mark it down, absolutely, written in stone, without a doubt, correct. Now musical taste is personal, that’s true. Still, as Christians, we need to understand that our worship, whatever form it takes, belongs first and foremost to God. It’s His and His alone. As we offer up our sacrifice of praise, He hears past our instruments, our words and voices (in tune or not) and listens intently to the music of our heart. Jesus spoke in stern rebuke and said, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.” Matthew 15:8.   

With all of this in mind, I’d like to give you some thoughts on the subject from this wanderer’s perspective.

What Worship Isn’t

Worship in the Hebrew language means to “bow down.”  Do you remember the day that Jesus crashed into your life? Somehow, somewhere you heard the Gospel. What glorious news! As a sinner, you recognized your desperate need for a savior and cried, “Jesus I surrender”!  The surrendered life, what a wonderful thing! We live now as born again believers.  We operate in a constant state of surrender and gratitude, knowing that even though we deserve hell, we have become, through the cross, the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. As we gather together, our worship, our singing and praise, flows out of this revelation, this surrendered life. We “bow down”.

Worship is surrender. So, at the risk of shifting your view of what “church” or “churching” should look like, lets better understand what worship is by talking briefly about a couple of things that it isn’t.

First, worship isn’t simply the thirty minutes of music before the sermon on Sunday. Husbands, try telling your wives for thirty minutes one day a week how much you love her. Tell her passionately. Sing her songs. Minister to her, then turn on the television and ignore her the rest of the week. It’s a simple illustration but you get the point. If we truly know Jesus, and recognize the amazing grace by which we’re saved, our relationship with Him will be just that, a relationship. “Just a closer walk with Thee.” A true sacrifice of praise flows out of a surrendered life.

Although it can be one of the results, another thing worship shouldn’t be, (and it isn’t in this church) is a calculated means of  “preparing our hearts” to hear a message or sermon. I sometimes have pastors (good and well meaning men) make song suggestions, or ask me to plan a worship service to try to create a “mood” so that the congregation might be receptive to their message. Worship should draw us to the throne and inspire our hearts, but it should never be man’s tool. I believe that would be a cheap use of a wonderful gift. I wonder how often we limit the things God wants to do in our lives by holding for ourselves things that belong to Him. Worship is just that, His, and He is gentle, kind, and wonderful.

Oh what a wonderful thing to be Children of the Living God! Let us come before the Lord with joy and gratitude for the mercy we’ve been shown and the grace by which we’re saved.

Live in peace Christians, you have been set free! Sing with abandon. Surrender, worship, “bow down.”

John Prine, Angels from Montgomery , and a Hard Caribbean Rain

I was thinking recently (and now I’m dragging you along with me) of my first trip to Central America . We’d had a long, through-the-night flight followed by a hair raising, prayer of re-dedication-inspiring, ride through Honduras to a little town on the Caribbean coast. We checked into our rooms, which were in an old wooden building sitting up on stilts (presumably in anticipation of the occasional hurricane). My traveling companions, being much smarter than I, wisely hit their beds but, as often happens, I was wired from travel or, more probably, just too tired to sleep. I took my guitar out on the porch and sat on a deck chair next to an ashtray filled with some previous guest’s cigarette butts. I sat there for a long time that night, listening to the ocean and strumming old John Prine songs. I’m not sure when, but at some point it started to rain. It started lightly at first, but then God really hit the throttle. I’d never seen rain like that. It pounded on the tin roof like thunder. As I played those songs from my childhood, and listened to the rain, I remember feeling so close to Jesus. Just wrapped in His arms. I worshiped in my heart. “Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery .” Somehow that night stands out to me as one of the great worship experiences of my memory.

How can that be? I wasn’t singing hymns. I wasn’t singing choruses. There was no sound system, mood lighting, or beautiful cathedral - just Jesus, John Prine, and I. And Jesus called me “friend.”

So what is worship? Worship is fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. We recognize our need. We surrender to Jesus. We’re reconciled to God, and have fellowship with Him every hour of our lives, and then Heaven! Through this journey we call life we have a Great Companion. We have a Friend.

Be Worshipers

My intent through these articles has not been to teach how to worship. I believe that to be an act of the Holy Spirit. My intent has been to simply point out what worship is, bowing down and submitting our hearts and lives to our Lord. The reason we do this? Because we’re grateful. We know where we’ve been, what we deserve, and what we now have in Jesus. We’ll never truly worship until we understand that gift. Until we understand the cross, and what grace really means in our lives. 

Today, ask yourself an honest question. Are these things just words to you? Or does love for your Savior – Savior! - make you feel as though your heart will burst? Am I being dramatic? I don’t think so. I’ve seen that kind of love before, many many times. I saw it once in a prisoner on his knees, the letters H.A.T.E. tattooed across his knuckles. He sang out “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…!”  So beautiful his voice must have been to the Lord. I remember a group of little girls in the mountain forests of Honduras . They’d been molested time and time again. First by their fathers, uncles, who knows who else? Then, unbelievably, by the very missionary that took them in! By the time I met them they were in a safe place, thank the Lord. I’ll never forget them singing “Jesus loves me.” “Jesus loves me?!” How wonderful that news must have been to them. Someone loves me! I see the unmistakable love of Christ on many of your faces as well, as we worship and serve Jesus together. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family.

There have been people throughout history that God has anointed to lead his children in worship. I pray that I can be one of these men, and if I am, that I may do well and honor God. Most of the time people are gracious and kind. Other times, as is our human nature, people can be very critical. I hope I’m teachable. I try my best to meet the needs of the body. I know this; I may not always play your favorite songs or hymns – and there will always be much better singers and musicians than I am – but I love this church, and if you’ll allow me, I’ll lead by example. I’ll sing and play for Jesus. I’ll worship with all my heart. I hope you will too.  

And all of Heaven worships with us,

Buck Storm

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