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Christian Living

3 Ways to Worship God

Worship Means Different Things, but What’s Important is That We Do It

Some churches call their Sunday meeting a worship service. This has always troubled me. Yes, I knew that singing to God was a form of worship, or at least it should be.

I understood the part about “worshiping God with our tithes and offerings,” even though I didn’t see God getting too much of what we dropped into the offering plate. But the sermon?

How could listening to a lecture, often a boring one, be a form of worshiping God? In truth, aside from a few songs and the collection, the bulk of most church services are either education or entertainment. Is that worship? I don’t think so. I hope not.

Here are three ways we can worship God. (And like a good three-point sermon, they all begin with the same letter.)

Singing

As I said, singing to God is a way to worship him. More broadly, music is a path to worship. That means we can sing or listen to music.

Music can also involve movement, rather it be clapping our hands, raising our arms in praise, or dance (from rhythmic swaying to getting down like David, 2 Samuel 6:14).

Yes, singing can have a physical component. It can also involve senses.

Sight: seeing others sing and dance (or watching a light show).

Hearing: listening to those around us sing and hearing the instruments.

Smell: incense or a smoke machine.

Touch: holding hands with fellow worshipers as we sing.

Taste: singing while we take communion.

For the record, I’ve experienced each of these sensory elements in worship at various church services, though not often.

Unfortunately, I’m musically and rhythmically challenged, so I struggle to worship God through music and movement. But give me a strong beat with catchy lyrics behind it, and I can engage in song as a means of worship.

Serving

Helping others, both with our time and through our money, is a tangible form of worship. I enjoy the action of doing something for others, offering it as an act of service to them and as a form of worship to God.

Similarly I like being able to give money to causes I’m passionate about or to people in need as the Holy Spirit directs me. Both are ways to serve and both offer a path for worship. I relish the opportunity to worship God through these forms of service. 

Silence

In our multitasking, always-on society, the hush of stillness is an anachronism to most, one that causes many people to squirm. Few people can tolerate silence for more than a few seconds.

Yet in our silence—along with its partner, solitude—we can quiet our racing minds and still our thumping hearts in order to connect with God. Psalm 46:10 says to “be still and know that I am God.”

Yet, setting time aside to be still presents challenges. For most of us, meeting with God in silence doesn’t just happen; we must be intentional.

In my times of silence I connect more fully with God in worship, get deeper glimpses into his heart, and am best able to hear his gentle words of encouragement, correction, and mostly love. So good!

Just as I make it my practice to attend church, I have a parallel practice of giving to my community each week. I also (usually) block out one day out of seven to fast, and part of that time includes worshiping God through silence.

All three are forms of worship, though for me, helping others is more practical and resting in God’s presence is more meaningful.

God has uniquely made us and gives us different ways to worship him. When it comes to worship, one size does not fit all. Find the one that fits you.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Do You Remember the Last Sermon You Heard?

I’ve heard several thousand sermons in my life. I can remember parts from about six of them. Not the whole thing, just parts. Seldom does the recollection of one message even make it to the next Sunday.

More likely I’ve forgotten it by the time I make it home—or even to the parking lot. That’s bad news for preachers.

I remember someone once asking, “What has God been teaching you lately?”

“Well,” I reply, “I heard a really great sermon on Sunday.”

“Cool! What was it about?”

I’m silent for a while. “Gee, I can’t remember—but I know it was good.”

I guess that’s why preachers often review last week’s sermon before they launch into a new one.

Some sermons are long and others are short. Some are shallow and others, deep. Some contain clever sound bites and others spew dry theology. Some preachers are accomplished communicators and others have trouble stringing two coherent thoughts together.

Their common trait is that the words are largely forgettable. Though I can usually walk out of church with one key thought, it is fleeting. I don’t gain new knowledge, no lasting change occurs, I don’t connect with God in a deeper way.

Even though the sermon is the focus at most all Protestant churches, it falls short of significance most every week—at least for me. That’s why I don’t go to church to hear the sermon or even for the music.

I go for the community. That’s why I’m going today.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Be Careful What We Sing at Church

Be Careful What We Sing at Church

The tempo was upbeat and the song was inviting. Though new to me, I picked it up quickly. On the third time through the chorus, I started really contemplating the words—and I stopped singing.

Really, I did—right in midsentence. The words were wrong.

Though it’s technically illegal for me to quote song lyrics (and I don’t want to out an accomplished songwriter), the gist was that when things go bad, God will immediately rescue us.

I don’t see that happen very often in the Bible. Usually, God waits. I don’t often experience instant resolutions in my own life, either. Usually, he says to be patient.

Yes, God provides, and he does answer my prayers, but he does it in his own way and in his own time. Seldom are the heavy things resolved immediately.

The song paints the expectation of instant gratification. Though appealing to modern society, it’s a bad way to understand God. The song should have said that when things go bad, we need to be patient; in the end, God will come through.

That’s good teaching.

My concern is for people who base their understanding of God from the songs we sing in church. If they believe he will always immediately rescue them, as the song says, will their faith suffer a crisis when their experience is different?

When God tarries, as he sometimes does, will they give up on God and walk away?

I hope not, but I fear so.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Do We Ever Lie to God?

Be Careful of the Word You Sing

The song said, “We lift up our hands.” Except for my wife, no one else in the church service moved, not even me. It seemed disingenuous to only raise my hands when the song told me to. Shouldn’t I have already been doing that?

We all sang the words, but we failed to do what our words declared. I wondered what God thought about our supposed worship. We said one thing but did another. We sang a lie to God.

I was still agitated by our disconnected praise to God when another song declared “down on my knees.” No one knelt. Why did we profess we were doing something we refused to do?

Raising our hands to God is a sign of adoration, while kneeling before him depicts reverence. Our worship of the Almighty was half-hearted, claiming one thing with our words but then denying them through inaction. We were lying to God.

Our third strike came at the end of the service when we sang, “I surrender all.” I thought I meant it but wondered if I really did.

After all, I didn’t actually lift up my hands when I said I was or literally kneel when I claimed that in song, so was my surrender in words only?

Was I really surrendering all to God or was I holding back, only surrendering in part? Did I again lie to my Father in heaven?

May I be like David, who says he will “live what I sing every day.”

What about the other 200 people present? They lied to God about raising their hands and about genuflecting. Was there any reason to suspect their claim of surrender was genuine?

Even more convicting, did they bother to consider the words they sang? That might be a worse affront to God, to mouth the words with unthinking routine, to simulate worship when their mind was elsewhere.

That might be an even bigger lie and a rut I fall into too often.

God, forgive us for lying to you in song. Grant us focus when we sing.

[Psalm 61:8]

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

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Christian Living

Make a Joyful Noise

On a recent trip I wound my way through the airport, seeking the hotel shuttle.

Not transferring planes as I normally do at this hub, I navigated unfamiliar territory: traversing terminals, ascending stairs, snaking through corridors, and riding an elevator.

The sign lead me outside for a moment and then back in. Really? Next was another series of hallways.

Amid the cacophony of airport noises, I turned the corner as a faint sound reached my ears. It didn’t belong in an airport. Barely discernible, I strained to hear the improbable.

Could it be? Several more steps confirmed my suspicion; a smile formed, subtle at first.

The grand tones of a trumpet bathed me. My smile broadened.

The pure sounds grew stronger as my path brought me closer. This was not the prerecorded variety, amplified and distorted over speakers, but live music. The beauty of the notes overwhelmed me.

Perfect in every way, it was an uplifting treat: a point of humanity overpowering the waves of inhumanity milling about me. I recognized the tune and continued moving towards it.

However, the louder it became, the more I realized it was not coming from an accomplished musician. The notes were actually sloppy and the timing, imprecise. Even so, I remained pleased for this musical reprieve.

It was also repetitious, bordering on tedium. Yet it surpassed the ever-flow of PA announcements, the beeps of vehicles trying to run me over, and the less-than-patient words of the people pressing about. Okay, so the music wasn’t perfect, but it was still nice to hear.

Another turn gave me a visual. Stationed at the intersection of corridors the musician stood, shabbily dressed, but whether out of necessity or plan, I know not.

What I do know, he was playing his heart out, exuding passion.

Passersby dropped money into the cardboard box at his feet. I pulled a bill out of my wallet. Drawing close, I veered from my path to make my contribution to his art. He’d amassed a nice haul and I added to it, making eye contact as I did.

He winked and out of the corner of his mouth snuck a quick “thank you” as he sucked in another breath, while only slightly affecting his timing.

I continued on. His playing wasn’t good, yet I appreciated his initiative. Even more so, he brightened my day and filled me with joy, forming the highpoint of my trip.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Four Ways to Worship God

When I think about worshiping God, I first think of singing songs to him and about him. Yes, that’s a part of worship, but there’s more.

Next, I think about worshiping God by giving money to him and his causes. That’s another aspect of worship, but there’s more.

Third, I think about worshiping God by performing acts of service. There’s a myriad of ways for this to happen and each can be another facet of worship, but there’s more.

Fourth, I think about worshiping God by creating art. Sometimes art is about him and sometimes it’s for him, creating for the creator. After all, he is the ultimate creator and we are made in his image; therefore, we are made to create.

The problem is I’ve never considered myself a creative person. I’m an analytical guy, logic and structure is how I’m wired, not to create.

God began to change this perspective in me when I attended the Breathe Christian Writers Conference last year. Through the people there, he showed me writing is another way to create art.

Not only is writing a spiritual act for me, but now it’s becoming a creative act, too; one I use to worship God.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

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Visiting Churches

Why is Community Important at Church?

For the past 19 weeks, my bride and I have been visiting different churches to expand our understanding of how others worship and understand God.

We call this initiative “52 Churches” and I blog about the experience each Monday morning.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

However, friends frequently ask for more: “What are you learning,” “Is your journey changing,” or “Have you found any churches you want to revisit?” The short answers are

  1. We’re learning a great deal,
  2. the vision for our sojourn is unchanged, and
  3. there are several churches we’d like to revisit.

A key realization at this point is that it’s not about the teaching or the music; it’s about the community.

We’ve heard messages from gifted speakers and not so gifted. We’ve been taught by the formally trained and the self-trained. We’ve been presented with deep thoughts and entertaining anecdotes.

In all cases, we’ve received a worthwhile word from God. I suspect as long as we’re open to hear and expectantly pray for that to happen, it will.

Similarly, we’ve sung traditional hymns, contemporary songs, and modern praise choruses. We’ve been led by accomplished vocalists and struggling crooners.

There have been worship bands, pipe organs, and pianos, accompaniment tracks, and even a capella.

In all cases, as long as we’re willing to focus on the words, God is there.

Message and music, I’m sad to report, are not important.

The big variable is the community. Community is that time of interaction with others (aside from that awkward official greeting time). This is when connections are made and God is shared.

God seems more present in these informal interactions before and after the service than in the planned and carefully prepped moments during the service.

In a few churches, there is no community. People come, people sit, and people leave, with nary a word exchanged.

Fortunately, most churches have community and some excel at it. These are the churches I want to return to; these are the experiences that excite me; these are the moments when God is most powerfully present.

Community is church at its best.

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.