Think of the word “worship.” Usually, what comes to mind is a state of reverence and honor, with someone bowing down in homage and deference. Worship is a verb, a state of being when we actively exhibit our love and adoration for the one we adore. For Christians, the one we worship is clear: It’s the Lord. Yet there’s an increasing problem with many churches as our services and styles grow and evolve to fit or embrace a changing culture. The problem is that some churches are getting worship wrong on a fundamental level.
What is “wrong worship”? It’s when it’s missing the critical aspect of worship: adoration, reverence, and respect for the Lord of Lords and King of Kings—the Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Instead, many churches fill that void with entertaining music or complicated rituals that seem on track until they’re not. At its core, worship is meant to adore, revere, bow down, and serve in utter love and submission. When we worship the Lord, we usually express joy and hope through praises. Many times, this can involve music, but it also involves a number of other things, from teaching to prayer to service.
Worship is something we’re supposed to do every day, all day long. It is not confined to a church service. We worship the Lord in our actions and our words, alone or in fellowship with others. It can be silent or loud, motionless or animated. But the most important aspect is that it must be, foremost, about God and our reverence for him. And that’s where, sometimes, churches get worship wrong, whether it’s a contemporary megachurch or a quiet sanctuary nestled in a centuries-old space.
Here are five surprising signs your church might be getting worship wrong.
Photo Credit: Hannah Busing/Unsplash
