"A frequently used phrase by some contemporary Western Christians symptomatic of Baalistic tendencies in worship is "lets have a worship experience". It is the Baalistic perversion of "let us worship God". It is the difference between cultivating something that makes sense to an individual, and acting in response to what makes sense to God. In a "worship experience," a person sees something that excites him or her and goes about putting spiritual wrappings around it. A person experiences something in the realm of dependency, anxiety, love, loss or joy and a connection is made with the ultimate. Worship becomes a movement from what I see or experience or hear, to prayer or celebration or discussion in a religious setting. Individual feelings trump the word of God.
Biblically formed people of God do not use the term "worship" as a description of an experience, such as "I can have a worship experience with God on the golf course." What that means is, "I can have religious feelings reminding me of good things, awesome things, beautiful things nearly any place." Which is true enough. The only thing wrong with the statement is its ignorance, thinking that such experience makes up what the Christian church calls worship.
The biblical usage is very different. It talks of worship as a response to God's word in the context of the community of God's people. Worship in the biblical sources and in liturgical history is not something a person experiences, it is something we do, regardless of how we feel about it, or whether we feel anything about it at all. The experience develops out of the worship, not the other way around. Isaiah saw, heard, and felt on the day he received his prophetic call while at worship in the temple - but he didn't go there in order to have a "seraphim experience."
- Eugene H. Peterson, The Jesus Way. p111. Hodder and Stoughton, London (2007).
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7 comments:
Top stuff. Top, top stuff. I saw a live worship DVD recently and in part of the extras there was some clips of the band & crew's comments after the night. One of them was "God really showed up tonight" - i felt like jumping in the TV and saying "No my friend, he is always there". It's very symptomatic of this same attitude of worship experiences.
But especially for myself as a musician, it can be very easy to stray that way. I think diligence and consideration of our feelings in the view of God's charachter is required.
Whilst worship is certainly the response to God's word in the community of God's people, surely it is more than that too.
It is our day to day aknowledgment of God's sovereignty and our complete dependence on Him.
Calling upon God in times of adversity is worship too, isn't it?
Psalm 50: 14-15 "Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Worship is a 'concertina word' (J.I Packer usage) in scripture.
In its 'closed', more specific sense it refers to the communal, cultic activity of the people of God. In our context this is best understood as the church service - Prayers, Creeds, Confession, Singing, Scripture, Preaching, Sacrament.
In its 'open', broader sense (See Romans 12:1-2) it refers to the life submitted to God in obedience. In this sense Jill is right. In fact, the entire Psalms are evidence of the life of worship - struggled for, rejoiced in, lamented over...
There is huge confusion about this in the modern church.
Can I borrow this book when you are finished with it?
Absolutely Laura.
I was waiting for someone to ask.
There is profound stuff there.
It appears to be in part a rebuke of the US Church.
Nice to hear from you Justin.
I agree, and I think Eugene Peterson would clearly state that his analysis is driven by his reflections on the US church. Having acknowledged that, I think all churches face the temptation to substitute the self ('my experience') for God in worship, which is idolatory.
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