Thoughts on Worship Styles

Time to get out the pitch forks and torches after this post. Before you get offended, that is the two people that read this blog, think seriously about what I’m saying.

The debate on what style should our worship should be has been around for a long time. One could call a heated debate on this topic “worship wars”. If your congregation is currently in a worship war let me know, I’ll pray for you, cause those things suck. Probably everyone has a style they prefer in a worship service……so how does a congregation deal with that? Lots of factors come into play here, lots. So what’s important? What should a worship service do? What is worship? Other questions may pop up in your mind as well!

Worship

The Hebrew word for worship simply means “bowing down”. Giving all our time and attention to something. Focusing, if you will, on a thing. In the context of a worshiping congregation that means bowing down, focusing on, giving our complete attention to….the Father and our Messiah. I know this is a simple explanation, I’ll do an in depth post just on this subject in the future.

What Should A Worship Service Do?

A worship service should allow ( not hinder) the congregation to experience the manifest presence of G-d. That is it. Do you have the manifest presence of G-d in your services? I mean the tangible feeling that He is here and working among His people. There is another sign that He has been in the service. After the conviction, cleansing, revelation ect comes the one thing that ALWAYS happens……JOY! Joy will always be the end result of all the other stuff that we feel when G-d shows up in a real way. Is there Joy in your services? How about in your private worship time? You do have a private worship time right? Cause you don’t have to be in church to have a little worship.

Now how that happens is where we get all turned around.

Style

Simply……Style don’t matter to the Father as long as it’s true worship and there is some life in it. However style does matter to congregations and that’s ok. A congregation that prefers a certain type of  music will be distracted from worship by another style that sounds strange to their ears. G-d allows congregations to make decisions, right or wrong, and He stands by them. This concept comes from Exodus / Shemot 18:19-26 where Moses father-in-law suggested a new way to make decisions;

v 21 And you, you shall look out men of ability out of all the people, who fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain. And you place these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
v 22  And let them judge the people at all times. And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, and every small matter they shall judge. And you make it easy on yourself, and let them bear with you.
v 23  If you do this thing, and God command you, you will be able to stand; and also this people will go in peace to their place.

Oh noo, the word judge!! Hate to ruin years of the “judge not” teaching but to judge in hebrew simply means to make a decision. when Yeshua said “do not judge” He meant do not condemn, but that study is for another day. So the congregation is allowed to make decisions. Read some of Paul’s writings you’ll see the concept there as well.

To sum it all up

A congregation must decide what style best suits it. No matter the style whether, liturgical, hymn based, rock, country, folk or pop styles. They can all be worship and achieve the goal, remember the goal for worship right?

That the Congregation / Worshiper experience the Manifest Presence of G-d!

Blessings   Mark

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