Is it possible to sing the praises of God and His Word among the gathered people of God every week and yet it not be worship? Unfortunately that is a possibility.
Our music-making that is completely focused on the Biblical revelation of our great God is not necessarily by itself "worship". It can be idolatry, it can be self-centered, it can be culturally relevant and significant and even greatly emotional. But what makes our music-making worship?
We all know from experience that those who prepare and "lead" worship get great benefits from their efforts. In fact, there are three parts of that process in worship.
First, the work we intentionally do for God's glory is worship. In a very Biblical sense, Wednesday rehearsals are a "worship time"! Because we come together and our worship is the giving to God His due with the devotion of our bodies, our time, and our energy for His glory.
Second is our prayer preparation. Psalm 24 says, "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands and a pure heart . . . Such is the generation of those who seek Him." So it becomes more than our worship in rehearsal. We must also come before Him in prayer and make sure our heart and our life connects with our song. Our preparation for worship must include making sure we are confessed up to date, coming with clean hands and a pure heart before God and His people.
Finally is the actual leading of worship. We must come to the point that making music in corporate worship with the gathered body of Christ is never for ourselves. It must be for the purpose of drawing others in the joy and understanding of what we have learned and now sing. Hebrews 13 reminds us that leading worship is "the fruit of lips that confess His name."
It is a high calling, special joy and obligation to lead the people of God to sing praises to His name! May we always be becoming "living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." If we have all of these things in place, that is when our music is worship! mjm
