In my attempt to write my thoughts on worship, I have had a hard time saying all I would like to express. I think we have put worship into a very small box and defined it by what we do on Sunday mornings through song and we have forgotten that true worship is acted out in everything that we do. Every action, every word, and every thought is an expression of worship to someone, or something. That is why it is so important for us to grapple with Jesus’ words when he said we cannot serve two masters. We are either worshipping our God or some other god we have created in all that we do. Living a life that is fully dedicated to Christ and His kingdom requires all of us, every fiber of our being. Worship is not something that can be bottled up, or recorded, and sold to the masses. It must be lived out, in community and individually. It is only when we understand the depth that worship plays in our lives that we can begin to look at the role that music plays in our worship.

If worship is not about music or singing, then why do we carry out this ritual every Sunday morning?

The answer lies in the power of art. Ever since God created the world, and man in His own image, man has struggled to fully connect with Him. Adam and Eve at the forbidden fruit because they wanted to be more like Him and the builders of the Tower of Babel attempted to build their way skyward and closer to God. These were vain, selfish, attempts to prove that we could be like God. We will continue to try to prove our worth and equality to God through whatever means is necessary, and fail at every attempt. But art offers us something more than the failed attempts of Adam and Eve. Art gives us the chance to participate in our heritage, it allows us to commune with God. Art is our attempt to connect with and express the creativity of God in our own lives. Every one of us has a little bit of this art inside. We may not always see it, and we may not be confident in it, but we all have within us this divine heritage that has been observed for thousands of years by those who attempt to understand God.

So when we sing our little songs on Sunday mornings, there is much more happening than the words we sing. The music itself is an expression of our connection with something larger. Great songs use chordal structures, melodies, harmonies, and dynamics to guide our souls to its intended destination. There is a reason why sad songs make us cry, and joyful songs make us laugh. There is a reason why a certain song can bring back memories we thought we had forgotten and remind us of our past. Art cuts straight through our intellectualism and are facades and touches our souls. When you combine this powerful music with words of truth and beauty, our souls are inspired. If we allow the beauty of art and music to invade us and stay with us outside of Sunday mornings, our souls will guide our minds into communion with God. We can see the beauty of this creativity in all of creation, and we can see these expressions of worship and art in other art forms outside of the church. We can hear the gospel being told through the strings of a great classical piece. We can hear the cries of the lamenting psalmists through a despairing bluegrass tune. We can see the story of redemption and grace in movies, on TV and all over our so called secular world. Maybe if we Christians were better at art, if we would enjoy and create art for art’s sake, we could better communicate the power of the gospel story. The whole world connects with the beauty of art. It is an international language that breaks down barriers and heals broken hearts. Art challenges us to be more than we thought possible.

That is why we sing our songs. And that is why we sing songs that challenge us. Songs of repentance and mission, songs of remorse, songs of triumph, songs of love, death, and the awe of God. Art and music are only an expression of worship, but they are an expression that can unite us, inspire us, and encourage us to live lives of worship outside the walls of the church. My prayer and challenge for our church is that we would do more than sing our songs but that we would live them, that our lives would be the embodiment of our songs of worship. Because worship is about the devotions and passions of our lives.