Comments on: Cheap Worship

By: Tim Borseth

Tim Borseth — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:05:49 +0000

It appears to me that we need a proper balance of all of these elements for “holistic worship”.
The answer to the church’s ills is not one extreme or the other (unplugged versus cranked up, ect…), but for the body to follow the Head into the right and appropriate expression that the occasion calls for. How do you follow the Head? I’d start by following your pastor and pray that he/ they hear(s) from and follows the Lord.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:33:55 +0000

Thanks Matt.I too have been musing over what worship really is. I think to most Christians it’s the music portion of a church service. But listening also is a form of worship, like Josh Harris said in “Stop Dating the Church”:

“The importance of the sermon has nothing to do with the stature of the pastor who is preaching and everything to do with the authority and power of the Word of God. … Listening to preaching is a form of worship” since “God himself is addressing you through his Word.” (Luke 8:18) (Page 111)

And Paul says that obedience and sacrifice is our ultimate form of worship:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Striving toward holistic worship!?!

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:30:18 +0000

I so appreciate your heart in all that you said above, Matt. I especially connected with your paragraph of what we need more of. Thanks for sharing all of this– the more inspiration, the better, in finding that solitude, quietness, and refreshment Jesus just seemed to know how to take. I think our business is one of the devil’s greatest weapons forged against us. If he can’t take us out, he loves to keep us running.

By: Steve O

Steve O — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:07:36 +0000

I enjoyed that Selah service so much more than I do whenever we have lots of music. Then again I can remember quite a few times when I was feeling blue and they helped capture my emotion/”wake me up”.

I recommend trying to consciously shut down/quiet your thoughts between activities and try to listen. I did it a couple of days ago and I found things went smoother, and I discovered how many thoughts come on their own and a bit as to why they do.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 21:09:11 +0000

You’re onto something with our busyness–that contributes to our lack of inspiration. I hope and pray we can give each other permission and give the Spirit time to breathe into us different forms of artistic expression, before our monoculture style of worship becomes one of the “traditions of man” we thought we left behind.