A few days ago, I shared my thoughts on different styles of worship. Today, I tread on that ground, once again with the intention of introducing you to an even deeper style of worship: "Spontaneous Worship".
Over the years, as I have made my way from being an unfaithful desert wanderer back to walking with Jesus, I frequently heard about the "worship wars" - the differences between "traditional" and "contemporary" styles of worship. (I put all those words in quotes because I don't believe they fully describe worship.)
At one point, I was even misguided to believe that any music that sounded like the rock music I listened to during the week, couldn't be sacred or worshipful.
However, in recent years, I've experienced a complete 180 in my thinking and approach to worship.
First, for me, worship isn't just a time of day or time of the week when I gather with others to follow an order of worship (or bulletin).
Second, worship isn't just music, scripture, prayer, or sermons. It is all AND none of that.
Worship can be found during simple tasks like washing the dishes or mowing the yard. If I offer these tasks, and my time doing them, up to God then I am worshiping. But this perspective is a much larger discourse better saved for another day (you can ponder on the last part of 1 Corinthians 10:31 about this).
Lastly, and most importantly, worship - for me - is a time of encountering God's presence, in a tangible and experiential way. It doesn't matter if you prefer a "traditional style" with hymns, organs, and choirs or a "contemporary style" with drums, guitars, and lights, but if you are not encountering the living God of the universe during your "preferred style of worship", then in my opinion, your not really worshiping.
David danced naked before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:14). Was he really naked, or is it a metaphor for being open and exposed? I don't know. What I do know is that his wife, Michal, was offended by it and her offense left her barren.
Does your offense keep you from producing fruit?
I'd much rather be David, dancing totally exposed before the Lord than Michal in her castle tower offended and unfruitful.
I've often heard that the difference between the "good ole hymns" and "modern songs" is that the hymns teach, while the modern songs repeat. That may be true. But, in a glimpse of throne room worship, we are told that all of heaven sings "Holy, holy, holy." (Revelation 4:8) Sounds pretty repetitive to me. But the difference? They are singing "TO" God, rather than "ABOUT" God.
If your worship song only stays in your intellect and doesn't travel the remaining 18" down to your heart, then I'm sorry to say that you've missed the point of worship.
God is singing over us (Zephaniah 3:17) - all the time, every day, day and night. The least we can do is offer our praise, our thanksgiving, our worship back to Him, In my opinion, the easiest way is through song and music.
Please, please, please, hear my heart. I'm not saying you can't experience God through hearing scripture, saying a prayer, or learning from a sermon. It's just that I've found that my experiential, tangible, encounters with God have most frequently happened through song and music. And repetition? Well, let's say it helps put my brain on autopilot while my heart has a one-on-one with God.
Today's worship song comes from an Austin area local, Rick Pino. And it is an example of what is called "spontaneous" worship. Today's worship song references Mary's act of anointing Jesus' feet with perfume (John 12:3).
Spontaneous doesn't just mean it happens out of nowhere, but rather, the worship leader is in tune with what heaven is singing and leads the congregation to follow heaven.
To the uninitiated, it may just look and sound like a jam session - but even secular jam sessions are led by something unexplainable. How do those musicians know where to go, what to play, how to sing?
But in spontaneous worship, sometimes it's just losing the words for a moment and listening to the instruments. Sometimes it's the other way around - losing the instruments and listening to the voices. But sometimes, it's much more. And we'll see and experience other examples over our next two days together.
What I ask of you today is to set aside your "preferences" and have fun singing to God.
Here is Rick Pino performing live, "Pour My Love on You".
#monthofworship #RickPino #SpontaneousWorship #1Corinthians10:31 #2Samuel6:14 #Revelation4:8 #Zephaniah3:17 #John12:3 #praisinggod2023 #30DaysOfWorship
When I was a worship leader we used to practice spontaneous worship, so that when God's Spirit called an audible, we knew how to follow. Thanks for your words today!
ReplyDeleteAt one time I just thought the worship team was "lost" and thought everything was "repetitive". But now, during spontaneous sessions, my head gets out of the way and my heart sings.
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