We have a large stage and a loud band playing Hillsong, Bethel, Tomlin etc. So it's pretty much a concert experience and I still can't let go.
Well, if you think you need to mention how big a stage is and how loud the music is . . . or what songs are being played . . . why would that have your attention??
Our attention needs to be to God Himself. And this is included in worship.
And everything in God's word can help us to be attentive to God and find out how to love. God can use any part of His word, somehow.
Plus, we have examples who can help us, who are praying for us. So, it can be good to share with examples who help you find out how to worship. They can include people on a stage.
So, we trust God to have us let go, the way He wants.
"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)
So, in us we submit to how God works our willing and doing. And during a church service, then, we test how God wants us to worship, by seeing how He in us has us worshiping Him. And, of course, we can outwardly express ourselves; but worship is not a show or a personality cult thing.
And, by the way, Jesus says,
"Freely you have received, freely give." (in Matthew 10:8) From this, I see how I do not have to pay for what our own Father has people say to us, pray for us, or sing with us. So, worship is not for sale or show. What we need to "pay" is our attention to God
"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4)
So, worship includes how we are pleasing to our Father in our character. As we become like Jesus, we become in worship in our character, which is all the time. And we worship then, by being the right way in our relating with one another in Jesus >
"with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2)
Jesus is
"gentle and lowly in heart" (in Matthew 11:29); and Jesus is so pleasing to our Father; so by relating
"with all lowliness and gentleness" we are being pleasing to . . . worshiping . . . or Heavenly Father.
And as we relate in God's love like this, this feeds us for how we become able to worship in group worship.
"Do all things without complaining and disputing," (Philippians 2:14)
So, in our relating with God, we worship Him by not complaining.
And in our relating with people, we worship God and we love by not arguing. And I mean abusive and hurtful arguing in which we are trying to control someone instead of helping them with good example >
"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)
You worship God, by trusting Him to make you a good example for people, instead of trying to control people so you can use them.
And I would say to test what is in a song presented for worship. I suspect there are songs which mainly are concerned about how God loves me, will take me to Heaven, and will give me good things and take care of me. This can be self-centered. And I don't need to boast to God that I am praising Him all the day long if I am arguing and complaining during each day!! lolololololol
Possibly, instead, I need to be singing how I need deep correction so I am genuinely pleasing to God and loving any and all people the way Jesus wants and not only or mainly thanking Him for being good to me.
Possibly worship includes, then, singing what you know is true between you and God and trusting Him to have us become the way He really wants so we are pleasing to Him like Jesus is.
So, how we are has a lot to do with it.
