"Worship was so good today." It's a phrase used by many in the community of Believers. But what does that mean? The worship team played all your favorites? You got warm tingles? You felt good? You connected with G~d? When I was on the worship team at a church I once attended, that's exactly what good worship was.
Can one get warm tingles, feel good or get connected by sitting in a room of silence? Can one get healed or delivered if there is no driving beat or repetitious phrase that the Presence of G~d is there?
I've been doing some Youtube surfing lately, typing in spontaneous worship. Interesting what I am finding. It's all pretty much the same no matter which group or person is singing. I watch the crowds in each video. Most are dark environments with mood lights and they all look the same, moving to the music the same no matter which venue. And I wonder - where's the spontaneity? Could there be songs where everyone is declaring from scripture (those songs are out there - just outdated) the majesty of our G~d, who He is and not what we expect from Him? And is twenty minutes of "spontaneity" necessary? Could it just be that you could slip any phrase into the mix ten minutes into the set and no one would notice? Could someone begin a beautiful haunting melody with a driving beat "I want only You, I want only You and slide in, "I want a PBJ, I want a PBJ without many noticing? Would the beat go on?
Is this just another music trend or is this truly a move of the Spirit? Was this a move of the Spirit for the first person or band but everyone else sees how cool it is and needs to keep things at their service trendy?
In Hebrew the word for worship and service is the same - avodah.
Let me just leave you with this. Could we be turning worship into something more or less than what G~d intends?
