“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in the Spirit and in truth.“ John 4: 23-24
For many (especially in the U.S.), the first thing we think of when we hear the word ‘worship’ is music. And while the first 20-30 minutes of a church service may come to mind, worship is not limited to music, a specific time, or even a church building. God is Spirit and as such, is not limited by physical structure, time, or space. Therefore, worship unto him is not limited to a physical place or ritual. So what does that mean for our worship of the Creator?
I believe God’s spirit is creative. I also believe His truth keeps us grounded.
He calls his believers to worship him in spirit and truth. Authentic worship. Genuine worship.
If my worship of Him is authentic and genuine, then that means it will most likely not look like my fellow believers’ worship. Sure, we may sing the same song, maybe both lift our hands, but the offering I bring is between God and me. And that’s a beautiful thing when it comes from a pure heart. Each believer’s offering is unique. Our uniqueness stems from being created in the image of a creative and loving Creator. He loves our creativity. He placed it in us. So, what if how we worshiped Him also reflected the creativity He placed within us?
One of my favorite movies is “Chariots of Fire”, based on the true story of the British missionary in the early 1900s, Eric Liddell. Convicted of his calling to be a missionary to China and his natural talent to run fast, in one scene, Eric shares the following with his sister when trying to explain his love for both God and running: “I believe God made me for a purpose . . . But he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.”
If you’ve ever watched the movie or seen pictures of Eric when he ran, it was described as appalling, unorthodox, and ungainly. He would throw back his head, and his arms would flail vigorously. Nothing you would expect to see from an Olympic athlete. The movie portrays it well, and every time I watch him run in those scenes, I am brought to tears because he wasn’t just running, he was worshipping his God. Beautifully.
What if by changing the “posture” of your worship, God wants to reveal something to you?
What would happen if you closed your eyes and raised your hands in worship?
Have you ever danced during a worship song? He’s not looking for professional choreography. Let the spirit lead you as you dance for the Lord even by yourself in your bedroom or living room.
Maybe your offering to the Lord is found in the use of your skills and talent to capture beautiful moments of corporate worship, nature, or his people through the lens of a camera.
What if that thing you’re really good at, at work that people know you for, was a form of worship unto the King?
When’s the last time you just sat in the quiet listening to God? I realize for some it’s hard. Maybe next time, try listening to instrumental music to help drown out the “silence” and help refocus you. After a couple of weeks or so, once you have worked up to a place of being able to sit in silence, you can start removing the music and try it in total silence.
Singing, clapping, playing an instrument, dancing, raising hands, lying prostrate, kneeling, jumping, painting, journaling, photography, videography, fasting, listening, walking, hiking, running, even folding the laundry . . . the list goes on.
We serve a loving, creative, and wild God who created us to worship him, freely and unhindered.
Listening Prayer:
Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal to you areas of creativity in you that He wants to uncover, areas that may have been hidden. Ask Him to show you new, fresh, and unhindered ways to worship Him, today. Respond in obedience to his prompting.
Prayer:
My loving Creator, thank you for making me in your image. I love you Lord. I want to worship you in spirit and in truth, unhindered and free. May my heart be tethered to yours as I pray and worship you. Transform my mind to not be stuck in my old ways of thinking, but rather seek you daily for a fresh revelation of what it means to worship you. May I feel your pleasure when I worship you.
Resources: Bible Verses on Creative Worship
“Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!”
Psalm 149:3 ESV
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 63:1-4
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”
Romans 12:1
Worship Songs: