Byrnesys Blabberings

Josiah is one of those great people in my life who I dont have to see for ages and we can still hang out and have a great time. Although he may not remember it, he very patiently taught me how to play my first song on the guitar, a worship song at that. Along with being a great guitar player, is also great with words and has a big heart.

He has spent the last year in Coventry with Nexus, a Christian Music School and so I thought Id ask him to write a little reflection on his time there while Im away on the idea of worship and music:

I’ve been excited about writing this blog since Liam asked me to. Over this last year, the subject of worship has been brought more and more into the central focus of my life. A chance to collect some of what I’ve learned into something (somewhat) concise will do more for me than for anyone else reading it! Rather than attempting to present a full Bible study on the subject (that would be a life’s work!) I’m just going to put forward a few thoughts that have really been sticking with me. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but I hope this will be a bit of a refresher on an old subject.

You don’t have to look far to see that understandings of worship are massively varied and flawed, both inside and outside the church. However, a quick bit of introspection, a conversation with a friend or stranger, a step into any modern/traditional church or gaze at the pinnacle of cultural understanding - Wikipedia - will reveal a common thread. Worship is generally viewed as a collection of separate and specific practices and traditions performed to show appreciation for a deity. It is singing, dancing, teaching, praying, listening etc.

And that’s lovely. It gives us something to focus on and makes worship a pleasant experience that we can neatly schedule in to our week, day, or even hour if we’re the deeply spiritual type. But it also seems to put worship on the same level as making Dad a cup of tea. In fact - I like that analogy so I’m going to run with it. Imagine if I believed that I could only show my infinite appreciation for my dad by doing him favours. It’s a nice thought, and I could spend day after day delivering his mail, washing the car, making tea, mowing the lawn… but its significance would quickly wear thin regardless of the depth of my devotion.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that the chief end of man is to “…glorify God, and enjoy him forever.” But if worship is simply a collection of disconnected actions or performances, then I am failing in my duty to God if I am ever caught not in the act. So what is the wider worship that contains those individual acts as part of it’s offering? We know the answer:
    “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.”
- Romans 12:1

The idea of worship as a ritual or any action that is disconnected from daily life is a purely Old Testament idea. That kind of worship was a supplement that stood in anticipation of the day when Christ would come and enable us to offer our whole, physical lives in spirit and in truth, as worship. The idea of offering something physical towards a spiritual end seems strange, but the Bible gives many examples of how exactly that is done – it’s called discipleship.

The disciples of the New Testament were regular working men who definitely understood the challenges of daily life – and daily life is exactly what they offered to Jesus. In fact, Jesus was interested in nothing else. He didn’t care about the size of his fan base and didn’t get excited by acts of shallow bravado. When the rich young man came to impress Jesus with his righteous appearance, he was asked instead to change the very basis of his lifestyle and follow. Jesus is honoured by discipleship, not favours. Back to the dad analogy: Surely the better way to honour my father is to take what he has taught me into every aspect of life and live it out not in separate actions, but in one continuous motion of gratitude.
So when we think of worship, let’s learn to think in terms of discipleship – that offering of a life, which, thanks to Jesus’ death, is holy and pleasing to God. We don’t need to be told again how to be disciples, the NT is filled with stories of how common men and women have lived in a state of close, constant relationship with Christ. Let’s follow their example.

 
    One last thing, I know this has been long. The idea of walking in the shoes of those early disciples is a daunting task. We often stop and ask, “Where on earth am I going to get the mental, spiritual, and physical resources to live like they did?!” Thankfully, we’ve been given a beautiful starting point from which that life can flow. Paul tells us that the offering is made in view of God’s Mercy. Ahhhh….!! That is such refreshing news! I don’t worship God in view of an example to follow, in view of my failings, or even in view of a beautiful sunset or a great worship song. It is the work of Jesus Christ that makes our lives presentable offerings, and so discipleship is not worship of striving but of release. Worship can only flow from sight of who God is and what he has done. When we are struggling to make our lives an offering, it is a sign that we need to get a greater view of God and his mercy.

    Worship is discipleship. Discipleship is given and sustained by God’s mercy shown in Jesus. And when we worship with our lives, all those songs, dances, sermons, prayers and cups of tea discover their significance.