Introduction - A Call To Worship

Now is the time to worship.  Not when we play music on Saturday and Sundays, not when we are in the congregation and joining as a body in singing along.  Worship is not about the songs. For a worship team, this means avoiding the impulse to make this about performance.  For the congregation and those who participate in the songs, this means not letting the music be our only form of worship.  It means never allowing Saturday or Sunday services to become our definition of worship, because then we all fall into a trap.  We begin to believe that our act of worship is simply being there on Sunday, going through the motions, but even if we do fully invest ourselves in worship at church, we cannot confine worship to the walls of our church.  Worship is a lifestyle, an everyday effort, and an everything effort.

Now is the time to surrender our lives to God.  This is what worship is about.  It is a daily commitment to serving God and living out our faith.  Every righteous decision we make is an act of worship; every uplifting word we utter praises our Father in heaven; every time we choose to spend more time in prayer and devotion, or serve others in our community, we are worshiping God.  Conversely, any time we go against what God expects of us, we are not living a holy life pleasing to Him.  It's a challenge, one with which I certainly struggle, but it is how God commands us to be.

 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. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:1, 2

 Worship is about sacrifice.  It is about resisting the temptation to blend with the world around us.  It is about not conforming, but rather being transformed.  Most important, this is God's will for our lives.  To put it simple, anytime we chose to do the right thing when the wrong option presents itself, we are worshipping God.  Consider how this might look to you.  Maybe it means helping someone else when you could easily just ignore that person or, if that person is mistreated, you could do the same.  Maybe it means agreeing to do something you don't want to do, even when it is your impulse to argue.  Maybe it means turning off the TV or avoiding extra time browsing the internet and instead spending time in devotion (yes, I see the irony).  There are so many wrong decisions we can make, but when we take a stand and act the way God wants us to act, we are worshiping Him.  As the above verse states, "this is your spiritual act of worship."  The new NIV translation, from this year, describes it as "true and proper worship."  It is more than music; it is a daily decision to serve God.

This is not easy.  I certainly struggle in this area, as everyone does.  We are in a battle with the world, and our inclination is to surrender to those desires.  That is why worship is a sacrifice.  It is also why worship is so rewarding.  When our natural desire is to fight against doing the right thing, following God's will is a bold act on our part.  However, it becomes easier when we routinely choose to follow Christ and live a spiritually responsible life.  When we make surrender to God an essential part of our being, we will find the Holy Spirit more readily available to guide us where we should go.  When we live in sin, and refuse to submit to God's will, the right decisions will be difficult to make.  This effects our daily lives, but it also effects our service on the worship team.

This series, "Words of Worship", explores the many different areas of worship, and this can be anything, because "worship" covers every aspect of our lives.  There will be entries about our roles on the worship team and other song related content, but the point of this blog is to discuss different topics that effect everyones' lives and consider how God would want us to respond.  It is also about the encouragement we can receive from God's Word in times of spiritual crisis.  Most importantly, though, it is a way for us to study worship apart from the music and make it a focus in our lives.

Now, I'm not perfect and I certainly benefit from the studies that go into these entries, but this blog is not meant to be about me.  The "Words of Worship" series is not only about my writing.  I want everyone to contribute their own experiences and their own stories.  I want people to share Bible verses that I might have missed.  This blog is a forum for anyone to discuss worship.  I am certainly open to any contributions and any discussions that can derive from these blogs are more than welcome.

It's time for us to worship. Right now.  Let's all make the decision to let God's will supersede our own.