True Worship

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Romans 12:1 (CSB)

When our children were young, my husband and I had a mantra on Sunday mornings: “Get in, get out, and nobody gets hurt.” It was a nod to a skit on Saturday Night Live but it also served as our compass when going to church with four small children in tow.

As you might imagine, our singular goal was to get in and out without incident. By “incident” I mean without blood shed.  Maybe we would glean a little something from the sermon. Maybe we wouldn’t. It didn’t matter because the real victory was in no one having a meltdown in the pew (parents included) or leaving a trail of Cheerios from the van door to our preferred pew, which was as right of center as you could get. There, the lights were dimmer and we could make a beeline for the door without every head in the congregation turning to watch one of us slink out with a crying child tucked under our arm or being dragged out by theirs. We were actually so close to the door that we’d be out of sight before anyone could pinpoint the exact location of the mutiny.   

Needless to say, it is difficult to truly worship God when you’re so distracted with who’s touching who and who’s thinking about touching who. But that was over twenty-five years ago. My children have children of their own now, so why do I still feel like I don’t truly worship God when I’m at church?

Well, after some time on the interweb researching “worship” and “worshipping God,”  I am convicted that it is because I’ve been expecting God to show up in some profound way that would leave ME with a transcendental worship experience. In other words, I have put the onus of my worship of God on God.

Did you know that God is not responsible for our worship of Him? Nor is the worship leader at church or the pastor. Why? Because worship, as it turns out, is actually our response to who God is.

Read that again: Worship is OUR response to who God is.

The worship leader and pastor only facilitate a way for us to worship on Sunday mornings, and what they do is important and a form of their own worship, but worship is much more than music and message.

Cambridge Dictionary defines worship as “to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god.” If we’re truly responding to who God is, then we have that strong feeling of respect and admiration all the time.

But for far too long I thought worship only happened at the beginning of church service where I quietly sing off key while the perfectly-pitched worship leader belts out that week’s song selections (traditional hymns one week-contemporary songs the next), and then the worship is over. I never viewed the announcements, mission and congregational prayer requests, or monetary offerings as worship. There didn’t seem to be anything worship-y about those items included in the order of service.

Although, there is music during the collection of the offerings, but I’m pretty sure that’s just so you have background music while reading the bulletin. Finally, the sermon is delivered and then we all sing (to the best of our ability) the closing song and off we go back home. Okay, maybe a little worship at the end there with that last song.

I guess you could say I saw church as a worship sandwich—worship, meat, worship.

But do you know that ALL these things are worship if we are responding to the majesty and infinite nature, as well as the supreme greatness and authority of God?!

It’s true!

Showing up for church is worship. Singing is worship. Singing badly is worship. Praying is worship. Giving a lot of money is worship. Giving a little money (with a cheerful heart) is worship. Listening to the sermon is worship. Taking your children to church is worship (and work!). And that’s just some of the ways we worship for one hour on Sundays.

But worshipping God isn’t just for church on Sundays. In Romans 12:1, Paul writes, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

This means that all of our days and all of our minutes are for worshipping God. Our entire life should be offered to God as a form of true worship. No tambourines or gauzy clothing mandatory. No need for “How Great Thou Art” to perpetually be on your lips (although you can if it is sincere worship for you), and no “required” acts of worship necessary.

God wants our sincere sacrifice of all that we have and all that we are (our bodies as a living sacrifice) because of all that He is, and all that He gives us (His mercies).

Basically, all of our humanness is submitted to Him—our hearts, minds, hands, thoughts, and talents because He is so merciful in giving to us eternal life, hope, reconciliation to Him through Jesus Christ, strength, peace, wisdom, comfort, and so, so much more.

But is all worship exuberant and joyful like the songs we sing in church or the ones blaring in our AirPods?

Nope!

Because grief; sorrow; shame; loneliness; worry; anxiety; fear; disease; family dynamics; broken relationships; wayward child; and/or uncertainty of the future can break us, our worship is sometimes nothing more than a desperate prayer uttered in a cracked and whispered voice while our chest heaves and unending tears dampen our cheeks. But it is worship nonetheless because we are acknowledging that only God can help us in whatever the situation is that caused our brokenness.

Friend, it is during these seasons of brokenness that worship is needed even more because it keeps us close to the One worthy of worship. He’s only ever a whisper away. Think of worshipping as being akin to taking medication for what ails you. Worship brings healing to the places in our heart that only God can heal. It reminds us of our place and His. Worship gives a peace only God can give.

So, give God all that you are because of all that He is. This is true worship. And isn’t He worthy of our worship?

Oh yeah, and say a prayer for those, especially single parents, bringing young children to church on Sundays. This too is true worship.

And smile when you see a trail of Cheerios in the church foyer Sunday morning—they’ll lead you to worshippers in training.