Articles
Worship
By J. Hickman
When you think of worship you have to think of grateful beggars, helpless
people, walking away with something truly valuable. The story of the leper
from the gospel account comes to my mind. Luke says 'a man who was full of
leprosy saw Jesus and he fell on his face and implored him 'Lord if you are
willing you can make me clean' (Luke 5.12). Luke tells us Jesus touched him.
Mark says Jesus was 'moved with compassion'.
The man was so grateful he broke all the rules and told everyone what Jesus
did. The man was a full-tilt worshipper. He had found mercy and healing and
was changed. WORSHIP STARTS WITH WHAT GOD HAS DONE.
Jesus spoke to a young lady from Samaria and asked her for a drink (John 4).
It is a remarkably modern conversation because she was broken almost like
the men and women of the new millenium. In a harmless way, Jesus asked her
to get her husband. It turns out she had a half-dozen of them. Startled, the
woman asked if God was better worshipped in Samaria or in Jerusalem. Neither,
Jesus told her. God is worshipped in a deep spiritual way. GOD IS LOVED IN
SPIRIT AND TRUTH.
The idea is (proskeno) to kiss the object of worship- it implies something
of love and devotion. Jesus helps her see the life she has lived and her worship
intersect. If she follows him she will find a new way to live, and all her
thirsting will cease. She leaves and comes back with all her friends. Jesus
shows her the water of worship is pretty powerful stuff.
An important way to think of worship is GIVING GOD HONOR. Paul told the Athenian
philosophers they were very religious and sought to honor God (sebo)- even
making an altar to the unknown god (Acts 17.23). Paul made an effort to explain
Christ to them.
In the early days of the church the cross was mocked and lampooned. What kind
of God would end up on a cross? The graffiti found near the Circus Maximus
in downtown Rome shows a young man 'Alexamenos' honoring and praising Christ.
The artist has tied a little loop on the top of Jesus' body and attached a
donkey to it. Christians honoring and giving the crucified Lord honor seem
foolish to the outsider. To Alexamenos and millions of believers we raise
our hand and honor Jesus for his sacrifice.
Alexamenos Graffiti
The New Testament stresses a total way of life that makes everything an offering
to God. Paul tells the Roman believers to present their bodies a 'holy sacrifice
acceptable to God which is your spiritual service (latreuo) of worship' (Romans
12). It sounds odd to alot of us when something closer to helping someone
with a problem gets tagged 'worship'. Yet we offer everything to Christ.
SO WHAT IS WORSHIP?
It starts with our thankful hearts, and is deep. There is something of love
from a single spirit. The mystics make some people uncomfortable talking about
God 'the lover' but the root of worship language is 'to kiss' (proskeno= kuneo
to kiss). It is loving the Lord. So it includes:
1. Communing around the cross. Holy Communion is our strength and Jesus' good
gift of life to us.
2. It is praise and thanksgiving
3. It is private prayers (intercession, quiet times, times of spiritual visitation
from the Lord)
4. It is the spiritual disciplines (reading, solitude, fasting, giving, celebration)
5. It is your life-service to God
THE BIBLE SAYS THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH. LET WORSHIP RENEW AND
STRENGTHEN YOUR LIFE. LEARN TO BE A WORSHIPPER.
