Mack Academy Weblog

One of the largest misconceptions about worship today is that it something that only takes place at church, but this could not be further from the truth.  Worship can and should be done everywhere – not just within the church building.  The tabernacle and temple of Israel were designed to be symbols that reminded the Israelites of God’s presence among them – not the sole places of worship.  This concerned the Samaritan woman who asked Jesus where the acceptable place to worship was:  Israel or the mountains of Samaria.  Jesus responded by declaring “Woman, believe me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:20-24).  1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that the Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us, and Romans 12:1 tells us that we are to present our bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual worship.”

Another misconception is that worship is something that only occurs during the music portion of the church service or that it only occurs once a week during the church service itself.  The Bible, however, tells us that worship is something that should be done continuously.  Hebrews 13:15 states that “Through Him [Jesus] then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.”  In Psalm 71:8, the psalmist writes, “My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-8 tells us to “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

There are various ways to express our praise and adoration to God.  As mentioned previously, we can reflect on the great deeds the Lord has done and pour out praises and recognition of who He is.  We can “make known His deeds among the peoples” and “speak of all His wonders” (Psalm 105:1-2).   The Bible tells us that serving and encouraging each other is an act of service and worship to God for “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”  (Matthew 25:40).  Colossians 3:16-17 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  

We are also to worship God through our music, “singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Ephesians 5:19).  This can also be done through musical instruments; Psalm 150 tells us to praise God with the trumpet, harp and lyre, timbrel and dancing, stringed instruments and pipe, and resounding cymbals.  While worship can be done privately, these instruments indicate that worship should also be done corporately as a public call to everyone to “come and see the works of God, who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.” (Psalm 66:5).  With a correct knowledge and understanding of the God Who is the focus of our worship, we can reflect on God’s greatness and respond in true worship which encompasses every aspect of our lives.

Photo Credit - Flikr: Photomatt28, Shayan, DL Expressions, Mark Marshall