The Worship Wars Revisited (from my manuscript "Christian Mythology") Part 1

May 24, 2023
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Although I go to church just about every Sunday for the past thirty years, I have never worshipped there. Never. Now I know why.



Like me, you go to a church service that probably includes singing, praying, Scripture reading, and a sermon. In addition to the pastor, many churches have a worship leader. Typically, their job is to lead the singing of praise songs, hymns, and perhaps Psalters. A collection is commonly taken, sometimes called our worship in giving.



That’s the picture of many churches I have attended. If this is the picture of your church, then it is quite likely you have never worshipped either. I made this claim to a number of people and typically received two responses. The first one is the “you’re crazy” look. Of course this is worship. This is how we’ve always done it. The second is an agreement and a Biblical definition of worship. But the look of puzzlement says it all.



Either they don’t know what to do with the knowledge, or in fear, they won’t step on the toes of the church leadership to challenge them on the point.



Why should they? There’s nothing wrong with singing, praying, and praising. They are all perfectly Biblical. So what’s the big deal? Why change anything?



For many months, God prompted me during prayer, "Worship me." I replied, "How?" What is the attitude, the words, the physical posture? Is it like I see in church or is it something else entirely?



We often hear the terms "worship" and "praise" used together. More so, we hear them linked with music. While the Bible links "praise" with music, “worship” never is. Likewise, the Hebrew and Greek words for these terms are completely dissimilar. Therefore, their context, usage, and meaning are also different.



The New Testament infrequently uses the word "worship" until the book of Revelation. Until then, we learn the most about it in John 4. Jesus said in verse 24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."



I struggled with this verse the longest because it did not answer my question, "How do I worship?" In other words, what am I supposed to do?



First, there is a precursor to worship. To worship in the spirit, my spirit must first be one with God's Spirit. There must be no sin between us. Therefore, my entrance to worship must involve a humble but bold confession, a forsaking, and God’s issue of mercy. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." - Proverbs 28:13 That is worshiping in spirit according to the one/One relationship Jesus prayed for us in John 17:21-22.



How do we worship in truth? What truth? One answer concerns our posture. What is the physical posture of worship? God says we are to worship on our knees or prostrate before Him.



Psalm 95:6 - "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."



Philippians 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."



Have you ever seen anyone worship like this? Since 9/11, images of worshipping Middle Easterners commonly appear on television. Row upon row of men kneel facing Mecca, raising and bowing, at multiple prescribed times of the day. Is kneeling just a cultural thing? Is it evil?



We shall find out soon that kneeling or prostrate worship is exclusive and important. It is not a cultural posture. It is God’s will.



Well I have to be honest here that while I was delighted to find these answers, I was also scared. After all, this is a bit different. What will people think if I start worshipping this way? Yes, I felt ashamed to have these thoughts and questions. But I knew the truth and I wanted its freedom.



Freedom came at supper one night when Aaron (my youngest son) brought a Webkins to the table. My boys know bringing toys to the table is a no-no. I did not know that it was a special night for this Webkins. It was a birthday.



Anyway, I asked Aaron to remove the toy and then give thanks to the Lord for supper. He did. Then he said, "And now I'll have "Webkins" (whatever its name was) pray to the Webkins god."



"No, no Aaron," I said. "That breaks God's commandment to not have any other gods before Him." Aaron seemed to think that was good enough so he put the Webkins down and picked up his pizza. We all started to eat.



Then I looked up at Aaron. His head was down and he had his pizza over the edge of the table. He looked like he was pretending to feed his Webkins. I asked him to stop so the pizza oil would not drip on his Webkins and make it dirty. He started to cry.



My wife thought he was upset about the Webkins birthday thing and asked me to relax the no toy rule at the table. I tried but there was no consolation. Aaron just cried harder and harder. Then he got up and motioned for me to join him away from the table. We went to his room and sat down on the bed.



He told me he was crying because of the "Webkins god thing". Immediately I knew God had hold of his heart and he was under Holy Spirit conviction. Quickly we opened the Scriptures to lead him to repentance and freedom. We read I John 1:9 together. Then I asked Aaron if he wanted to worship God as fruit of his repentance. He agreed. We read Psalm 95:6 and Philippians 2:9-11 in his children’s Bible. Then I asked him what we should do. This was God’s decisive moment for both of us. We got on our knees, bowed down, and worshipped. Then Aaron prayed. And that was it.



Except it took a few days for me to come down from that cloud.
 

HTacianas

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Although I go to church just about every Sunday for the past thirty years, I have never worshipped there. Never. Now I know why.



Like me, you go to a church service that probably includes singing, praying, Scripture reading, and a sermon. In addition to the pastor, many churches have a worship leader. Typically, their job is to lead the singing of praise songs, hymns, and perhaps Psalters. A collection is commonly taken, sometimes called our worship in giving.



That’s the picture of many churches I have attended. If this is the picture of your church, then it is quite likely you have never worshipped either. I made this claim to a number of people and typically received two responses. The first one is the “you’re crazy” look. Of course this is worship. This is how we’ve always done it. The second is an agreement and a Biblical definition of worship. But the look of puzzlement says it all.



Either they don’t know what to do with the knowledge, or in fear, they won’t step on the toes of the church leadership to challenge them on the point.



Why should they? There’s nothing wrong with singing, praying, and praising. They are all perfectly Biblical. So what’s the big deal? Why change anything?



For many months, God prompted me during prayer, "Worship me." I replied, "How?" What is the attitude, the words, the physical posture? Is it like I see in church or is it something else entirely?



We often hear the terms "worship" and "praise" used together. More so, we hear them linked with music. While the Bible links "praise" with music, “worship” never is. Likewise, the Hebrew and Greek words for these terms are completely dissimilar. Therefore, their context, usage, and meaning are also different.



The New Testament infrequently uses the word "worship" until the book of Revelation. Until then, we learn the most about it in John 4. Jesus said in verse 24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."



I struggled with this verse the longest because it did not answer my question, "How do I worship?" In other words, what am I supposed to do?



First, there is a precursor to worship. To worship in the spirit, my spirit must first be one with God's Spirit. There must be no sin between us. Therefore, my entrance to worship must involve a humble but bold confession, a forsaking, and God’s issue of mercy. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." - Proverbs 28:13 That is worshiping in spirit according to the one/One relationship Jesus prayed for us in John 17:21-22.



How do we worship in truth? What truth? One answer concerns our posture. What is the physical posture of worship? God says we are to worship on our knees or prostrate before Him.



Psalm 95:6 - "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."



Philippians 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."



Have you ever seen anyone worship like this? Since 9/11, images of worshipping Middle Easterners commonly appear on television. Row upon row of men kneel facing Mecca, raising and bowing, at multiple prescribed times of the day. Is kneeling just a cultural thing? Is it evil?



We shall find out soon that kneeling or prostrate worship is exclusive and important. It is not a cultural posture. It is God’s will.



Well I have to be honest here that while I was delighted to find these answers, I was also scared. After all, this is a bit different. What will people think if I start worshipping this way? Yes, I felt ashamed to have these thoughts and questions. But I knew the truth and I wanted its freedom.



Freedom came at supper one night when Aaron (my youngest son) brought a Webkins to the table. My boys know bringing toys to the table is a no-no. I did not know that it was a special night for this Webkins. It was a birthday.



Anyway, I asked Aaron to remove the toy and then give thanks to the Lord for supper. He did. Then he said, "And now I'll have "Webkins" (whatever its name was) pray to the Webkins god."



"No, no Aaron," I said. "That breaks God's commandment to not have any other gods before Him." Aaron seemed to think that was good enough so he put the Webkins down and picked up his pizza. We all started to eat.



Then I looked up at Aaron. His head was down and he had his pizza over the edge of the table. He looked like he was pretending to feed his Webkins. I asked him to stop so the pizza oil would not drip on his Webkins and make it dirty. He started to cry.



My wife thought he was upset about the Webkins birthday thing and asked me to relax the no toy rule at the table. I tried but there was no consolation. Aaron just cried harder and harder. Then he got up and motioned for me to join him away from the table. We went to his room and sat down on the bed.



He told me he was crying because of the "Webkins god thing". Immediately I knew God had hold of his heart and he was under Holy Spirit conviction. Quickly we opened the Scriptures to lead him to repentance and freedom. We read I John 1:9 together. Then I asked Aaron if he wanted to worship God as fruit of his repentance. He agreed. We read Psalm 95:6 and Philippians 2:9-11 in his children’s Bible. Then I asked him what we should do. This was God’s decisive moment for both of us. We got on our knees, bowed down, and worshipped. Then Aaron prayed. And that was it.



Except it took a few days for me to come down from that cloud.

Actually the Church I attend has a worship service. It is called the Divine Liturgy. It has been the prescribed form of Christian worship for two thousand years. And yes, at times during the Liturgy the people prostrate themselves. By way of example, in around 112 AD Pliny the Younger, Roman Governor of Bythnia, wrote to Emperor Trajan concerning the habits of Christians he had investigated. He wrote in part:

They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food.

Note that they met before dawn on a certain day of the week, Sunday, known as the Lord's Day. They would then "sing responsively a hymn to Christ". Not that they would simply sing, but that they would sing responsively. What Pliny describes as a hymn was the Liturgy. It is sung responsively. Pliny then identifies the Eucharist as "ordinary and innocent food", i.e., bread and wine. That dispelled some of the accusations made against the Christians of the time that they were cannibals. Christians had adopted the mother-child motif to identify Jesus as their king, though portrayed as a child. People knew that Christians claimed to eat the flesh of their God during their gatherings so people accused them of killing a child and eating its flesh.
 
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Carl Emerson

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Yes... Kneeling before the Lord is pretty basic... but as you say, not so much part of 'modern' Christian culture.

It is rare to meet and pray with anyone who will kneel together with you.

Reminding us of the link between worship and kneeling is a good and timely word.
 
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