Worship: Not Where, But How
"Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers." (John 4:20, 23 NASB)
When I really took a close look at the who, when, where, why, and how questions surrounding praise & worship, I found it interesting that the Word of God answers all of those questions on the praise side; but not on the worship side. Thus far in my Christian experience I have only found the who, how, and why questions answered when it comes to the worship of God. We worship Him in spirit and in truth because, according to scripture, that's what He wants. In today's passage the Samaritan woman at the well was more concerned about geography (where worship was to take place). That wasn't the issue then, and it isn't now. We know that in heaven the praises and the worship of God are ongoing in the literal, eternal presence of a Holy God. Here on earth we can pick our times of worship, both public and private.
But worship has never been about the "place" because many gather at the "place" of worship, but don't worship. Some may praise for a minute, but their praise doesn't travel with them when they leave. So what's the point here? The point is that God has given us just one criterion and one reason for worship: He wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth - Holy Spirit-led worship, and according to the truth of scripture. His concern is not with a building, or tent, or any other man-made fixture or location. Both praise and worship begin in a sincere heart that seeks to stay connected to Him. He's not even concerned with what day of the week it is. He is worthy of our worship every day.
When your heart is sincere toward Him you can worship wherever you are because you understand it isn't about location; it is about obedience to His one how-to in worship: "in spirit and in truth."
Worship: Not Where, But How
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Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
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This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.