At a recent Sunday morning gathering of our church, something wonderful happened. Right as we were transitioning from corporate prayer into the service, all the electricity went out. Hallelujah!!!
To many modern churches, that would feel like a disaster. The worship team had already practiced for over an hour. Songs had been prepared. Sound checks had been completed. The entire service flow depended upon technology functioning properly. Suddenly, everything changed. No amplification, sound, or musical atmosphere. ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS GOD AND HIS PEOPLE, YIKES!
The stress and awkwardness in the room was immediate because of what our contemporary church culture, both evangelical and charismatic, have been conditioned to expect and seemingly need to worship. To break the tension, I jokingly stepped forward and said I had a “word of knowledge and wisdom.” Then I reminded everyone:
“The Biblical church did not have electricity in their corporate gatherings for praise and worship.”
People laughed a little awkwardly, and we ended up having a wonderful time of corporate worship of God. With my statement, I was also trying to get across something I think is important and often forgotten.
BIBLICAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP IS NOT ABOUT HOSTING AN EVENT WITH CUTTING-EDGE MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY THAT IS APPEALING. IT IS ABOUT HONORING GOD AND EXRESSING THE GLORY DUE HIS NAME!!!
This is the essence of what Jesus said to the woman at the well when she inquired about what kind of worship was acceptable to God. Special lighting, smoke machines, elaborate music, and cutting edge technology are not mentioned. This is the type of worship He seeks.
- John 4:23-24 “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. (24) “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The History of Contemporary Praise/Worship Culture
Two parallel movements arose over the past six decades that merged into the river of modern-day evangelical and charismatic worship culture: the charismatic movement and the church growth movement.
The Charismatic movement saw a restoration of “in spirit” worship with plasmic expressions, including singing, clapping, shouting, new songs, contemporary musical styles and instruments, and Spirit-inspired encounters with God. As charismatic expressions became popular and attracted people, the non-charismatic world saw the appeal and began offering “contemporary services.” This was done to attract people to gatherings, even some of their own, who were leaving for more charismatic services.
The church growth movement saw the appeal in drawing crowds and moved to implement it into their corporate gatherings. Since then, “Praise/worship bands” and technology have become essential to attracting a crowd to a building for services.
Over the decades that followed, as music and technology advanced, a whole worship culture evolved. Churches became dependent on cutting-edge music and technology, including smoke machines, light shows, and elaborate beautiful background screens displaying words to the songs. This has not just come to be accepted, it has become the primary means of motivating worship and/or mediating encounters with God in corporate gatherings.
Avoiding the Downside by Getting Back to the Heart of Worship
I remember a research project and study by the University of Washington that spawned many books and articles in 2012 called “God Is Like a Drug: Explaining Interaction Ritual Chains in American Megachurches.” The research examined many high-profile churches, such as Hillsong in NYC and elsewhere. It was revealed that worship in contemporary environments “provides the same biological ‘high’ and euphoria as that produced by sporting events and concerts.” I remember a poignant testimony from someone who was drawn to a New York megachurch but was struggling to encounter God in his everyday life.
“I just started attending church a few months back and really felt drawn to the presence of God, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE TIMES OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP. Yet, each time when I try to meet God in the same way during my personal quiet time AND ‘FEEL’ THE TANGIBLE PRESENCE that I always sense during church services, I always fail. Is this because there’s something that I’m not doing right? Am I not worshipping in the correct way?”
The First Revelation of Worship in the Bible
The Hebrew word for “Worship” in the OT is “shachah” means “to bow, humbly do reverence, to worship.” It is similar to the NT Greek word “prskuneo” which means “to bow down before, do reverence, to kiss like a dog licking a master’s hand.” The definition has little to do with much of contemporary worship culture across the body of Christ.
The Beginning of worship in the Bible: The first-place worship is mentioned in the Bible had little to do with much of our contemporary worship genra. It was when Abraham went to offer Isaac, the promised son, as a sacrifice.
- Genesis 22:5-6 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” (6) Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
Abraham probably felt little “tangible presence of God” when he climbed the mountain as he contemplated sacrificing his promised son for whom he waited so long. Worship was about honoring and obeying God with sacrifice. I am sure his emotions were all over the map, but he obeyed out of worship and reverence for God. This is the heart of worship.
Three Essentials that can Help us Recover the Heart of Biblical Worship.
1. Re-center Worship on God Rather than Experience.
Remember the focus of worship is not creating an atmosphere, but encountering God. The focus is God Himself. We must continually ask, “Are we worshiping God, or are we facilitating the addiction to the feelings of worship?” Praise and Worship is primarily about honoring God and surrender/sacrifice.
2. Consider an Occasional Technology Fast in our Personal Worship and Corporate Gatherings.
God, and His presence isn’t dependent on amplification, lighting, visual effects, smoke machines, environmental imagery, and a polished musical production. Technology and “excellent” music should support worship, not define it.
The Biblical church shook the world because God Himself was present with them. Continually ask yourself the question we faced at the beginning of the article. “If the electricity went out, could we still worship? Would God’s people be drawn together for worship without it?” We need to restore Biblical worship and not the contemporary worship industry/culture. We never want a worship team that simply “performs” which the audience watches. It may be good to take a season in which we fast technology in our corporate gatherings to get back the heart of worship.
3. Recover Worship as a Lifestyle not Just Performance in a Weekly Corporate Gathering.
Biblical worship is not confined to a Sunday music set. Consider how Romans 12:1-10 describes, “our spiritual service of worship.” It goes on to describe presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, which includes obedience, prayer, thankfulness, serving others, and daily surrender in our real everyday life. Help God’s people to be motivated with praise, thankfulness, and worship in their real everyday life without music and technology to help motivate us.
This aspect of praise and worship is at the heart of the NT exhortations about thanksgiving, praise and worship.
- Hebrews 13:15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
- Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
- Colossians 4:2 Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God.