The following Worship post from The Modern Theologian is an interesting study of our worship as an act of love rather than an obligation.
In seminary one of our tasks was to do a word study, this was done not so much to teach us how to look for words in Scripture, there are plenty of concordances available, but to get us to explore the various words in Hebrew and Greek, and to compare them to the word the English translator chose as most appropriate. One of these words was worship, שחח (shachah) in Hebrew, προσκυνήσαντες (proskunhsantev) in Greek. In each case the word signifies a deep bow to the ground I found it odd that in every English translation, whether from the Hebrew or Greek, the translation was to “worship” even though the more accurate translation is “prostration”.
Truth in Palmyra 
December 13, 2015 at 06:52
That was an excellent article. The other day, during worship, the worship leader prayed, “Father, before You we fall to our knees in our heart….” That was fitting because there was no room to actually fall to our knees. God is all about the heart.
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December 13, 2015 at 06:58
Ha..well said Patrick. Nothing wrong with physically manifesting our worship at all. Although we Baptists are not very comfortable with that LOL. But, it is what is in our heart that matters, not what we are doing, Reminds me of the other article from that day about Martha and Mary. One busy doing, doing, doing, and the other just…loving Him.
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December 13, 2015 at 07:20
LOL…Being a former Missionary Baptist, it felt so strange to even lift my hands unto God in worship. Trust me, I know from whence you are coming.
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December 13, 2015 at 07:27
Ah..you get it then! And look, don’t get me wrong, I still fall pretty squarely into the Cessasionist corner, but it does concern me that we tend to completely deny that the Holy Spirit is alive and working today. It seems like a contradiction to me. One on had we teach, and I believe, that the Holy Spirit is God, and part of the Triune God. On the other hand, any evidence of the Holy Spirit in action sends us running for the hills.
He is quite alive, and quite working, and frankly it would not kill us to show that in our actions sometimes. It’s funny. I like to sing. I’m not very good, but I like it and am willing, so I get to sing pretty regularly. When we sing, it’s like some unwritten rule you stand directly behind the pulpit and never move. I have this tendency to sort of wander around some. Not like a fool or anything, but off to the side and stuff. I think people thought it was quite odd at first! I believe music moves us both in our hearts and in our bodies…uh oh…not dancing LOL.
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December 13, 2015 at 12:01
The final sentence of the article, what true Worship looks like, resonated with the Lutheran in me. We don’t call the church service “worship”, we call it Gottesdienst – literally “the service (of) God” – translated as Divine Service. In the Divine Service, God acts and we respond. He calls us to gather and receive His gifts of forgiveness and everlasting life and we respond in praise and thanksgiving for His goodness and mercy. God is the Giver, we are the receiver. It is only because of God’s promise to hear us for Christ’s sake, that we are emboldened to prostrate ourselves before Him and confess our need. What we’re doing in church is not understood as worship, per se. We would call that praise and thanksgiving, rightly given in response to God’s grace to us.
Worship is understood as living a life of service to our neighbour through our God-given vocations. Where has God placed you? Are you a husband? A father? A son or a daughter? Then give thanks to God that He has placed you in a family and bring glory to Him by living a life of service toward them. In this way, our entire life becomes one of continuous worship.
It is a very different way of understanding worship. Changing your kid’s dirty diaper, an act of service done through ones vocation, is an act of worship that brings glory to God!
Worship, imo is not so much about raising my hands to Him but more about extending my hand out to my neighbour.
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December 13, 2015 at 13:28
Wow, what a buffet of thought that was Anitvan! I am glad you shared that, as I don’t run into many Lutherans down this way. But I would say I agree with that teaching totally. Worship is not that one or two hours on a Sunday morning by any means.
If you look on Church Set Free at the worship posts from that day, that theme seems to be common from all of the writers. That theme being that real worship is a way of life, the way we conduct everything about us, and should really be who we are.
Thanks so much for this fine addition to things.
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December 14, 2015 at 13:05
Good post. I’m not theologically similar to the Salvation Army but I appreciate their love for the lost and those in need.
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December 14, 2015 at 13:09
That’s a great point you just made Brother Jim, and one I am learning daily. Many of us are not theologically similar. Heck, I bet you and I differ on some things. But we can still manage to appreciate the good.
Just curious, though…What is the theology of the Salvation Army? I really don’t know about them other than their helping the needy.
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December 14, 2015 at 13:12
They are more in the stream of Wesley. I think Christian charity towards others who are also believers is very important. Thanks Wally!
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December 14, 2015 at 13:19
Actually, Brother Jim, thank you! I know have something else to study up on, as I realize you telling me they are Weslyan in nature actually left me fuddled! But, that is ok, as being fuddled is the best motivation to study. I realized I have no clue what the implications of that even are.
🙂
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December 14, 2015 at 13:20
Oh sorry! I meant to say I hold more a stronger emphasis on the sovereignty of God than perhaps the official statement and teachings of the Salvation Army.
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December 14, 2015 at 13:29
Oh..don’t be sorry! I wasn’t saying you messed up, just that there are so many things I don’t know LOL. I bet you do hold a stronger view of that than they do. I am actually reading on that subject now. A book by Norman Geisler called “:Chosen but Free.”
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December 14, 2015 at 13:33
Let me know what you think of the book as you progress through it
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December 14, 2015 at 13:36
I sure will! Have you ever reviewed it?
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December 14, 2015 at 13:48
I have not. Too many books out there, not enough time =)
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December 14, 2015 at 13:51
Sigh..that’s the truth. I did find some posts where you have written on some things he has said or written, though. I will, like you, add them to the really, really long list of things I want to read. No ever enough time, is there?
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December 14, 2015 at 13:51
I wonder if we would be able to read in heaven…
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December 14, 2015 at 13:57
Now, there is a topic! Holy cow! I would say..why not? Not sure that’s Biblical, but why not? I debated once with my wife over…and no irreverence meant here..coffee in Heaven. It seems that in our resurrected bodies we will eat, so why not coffee? Maybe enjoying physical pleasures as a gift from God might be one of the ways we will worship for all eternity?
Heck if I know!
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December 14, 2015 at 14:15
I think there might be a stronger continuity on the other side of eternity more than we think given that we have resurrected bodies. Often people dismiss the possibilities of things like coffee and books because of a belief that spiritual cannot be physical, which is more influenced by Greek philosophy than the Bible. I think the Bible teaches a very real physical bodily existence in the next life. We won’t be floating on clouds, having halos, merely playing harps, become like Casper, etc.
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December 14, 2015 at 14:19
Exactly! So the question remains…why not? I can’t fathom a reason why not. Jesus, after all, ate on the shores of Galilee after His resurrection, and had fellowship with His followers. I think folks think that to actually enjoy our resurrected bodies would somehow be less the spiritual. But…I suppose we will all know the details in full some day huh?
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December 14, 2015 at 14:20
Yeah! If Jesus resurrected body can have his Fil-A-Fish, why in heaven can’t we have books we finish? Why not, as you said.
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December 14, 2015 at 14:25
Indeed
🙂
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