joel's thoughts

Came across this article on different types of worship in today’s church, and something about it bothers me. Not that I disagree with much of the article — he’s just describing and categorizing the various styles of worship found in various churches. Granted, there was a bit of editorializing mixed in that I didn’t always agree with, but I could see where he was coming from. And I could go into how “worship” is — or should be — more than just a designated time slot on Sunday mornings, but I’ll leave that aside for now. I suspect he would agree with me on that anyway if given the chance.

What I most take issue with was in his closing:

No matter what type of worship a church uses, one thing is important: People must experience the transforming presence of God. Anything less isn’t worship, no matter what the style.

Excuse me? Since when is worship about us? Since when do we tell God how incredible he is because it makes us feel good? When you send someone a thank-you note for a gift, should you do it in such a way that you derive the most personal satisfaction from the experience, or in such a way that you most effectively communicate your appreciation to the giver?

Of course we can have a positive experience when we worship, but that should never be why we worship. Our worship should be to God, for God. Anything else isn’t worship, no matter how good it makes us feel.