What Is Worship?

By C Sampson

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about worship. What is it? What does it look like? What isn’t it?... As I look around at churches, and the Christian community as a whole, I think that we may not grasp the depth and intensity of true worship. If I were to ask you “what is worship”, I would likely hear responses such as “singing songs, praying, or my favorite, that part of Sunday service after announcements and before sermon.” Though all these are true (maybe), they don’t get to the core of the issue, they are simply modes or methods of worship. 

Worship is a tricky thing to define. Throughout the Bible we see instances where people were called to worship God, but there only a few verses that say what it should look like. Why is that? I believe the reason for this is that my worship may look totally different than yours. If we were to read that worship looks like a, b, c, d, then we might become legalistic about it; simply doing the steps without knowing why or even caring. How much passion does it take to follow an instruction manual? Instead, we are shown times when God’s people were compelled to worship. We see the overwhelming presence and power of God leaving people with no choice but to give Him glory. And, I think this leads to the best definition of worship, “acknowledge who God is and acknowledge who we are, then act accordingly.” We are His creation, His adopted children, our greatest act of worship is to accept this and give our lives to Him. In Romans 12, Paul writes “therefore, I urge you brothers, by the mercies of God present your bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God for this is your spiritual service of worship.” This is it, the key to all worship is to continually be offering yourself to God. 

This means that worship is not compartmentalized. It is not simply singing a song, offering a prayer, or participating in a Sunday service. We may be worshipping when doing any of these, but it’s all about our hearts. Are we surrendering to God in these times? If so, then it is worship, if not....then…? This truth can also expand our definition of worship. If we are daily living in the presence of God, then helping a friend could be worship, parenting your children could be worship, studying your Bible could be worship, maybe even cooking dinner could be worship! The point is, worship is not a task, it is a lifestyle, a state of being. It is a thread that should run through every part of our lives, not simply be a part of our life. 

This is often easier said than done for me, but I love the challenge. Over time, I am learning to let God move through me and offer myself to Him. It is amazing to feel His presence when I am truly worshipping and humbling to feel the awkwardness when I’m going through the motions. Take time this week to talk to God about your worship. Ask Him to fill it and make it real, true worship. Read through Paul’s words and consider if everything your doing is your spiritual service of worship. Don’t let it be a cold, rote task, instead let it be passionate action that you take because you know who God is and that He deserves your praise.

By C Sampson