Blog #007 – Say what?

The committees that write worship pastor job postings need to be sure they
write what they and mean what they write. Too often they are filled with
thoughtless banalities.

A listing posted this requirement: “The ability to play guitar and/or
keyboard and vocal singing are preferred.” Vocal singing - Is there some
other way to sing beside with your voice? With your hands possibly, but that
would be signing – which is really close.

One church lists its desired worship leader to possess “a blue-collar work
ethic” – Wikipedia – “blue-collar worker: a member of the working class who
typically performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage.” Peter’s
interpretation: along with all the other duties of a music minister/worship
pastor, this person will clean toilets and vacuum, service the church bus,
and repave the parking lot - all with the benefit of getting to punch the
clock, leave “work” at work, and have union representation in contract
negotiations.

One congregation’s vision statement: “…to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with every person everywhere….” Wow, an ambitious statement for a single
congregation – every person everywhere? That’s a lot of people in a lot of
places!

It’s curious how many congregations today describe themselves as
“inter-generational.” When one church was asked how they expressed this in
corporate worship, they replied that the worship pastor goes over to the
children’s ministry wing after completing the “worship set” in the main
service to lead the kids in their time of singing before their Bible lesson.
Hmmm.

A well-intending congregation with a huge heart for God is looking for a
worship leader who leads “…so that… worship breaks out with joyful,
beautiful, meaningful unified worship in every stage and age of our church
groupings and meetings….” Worship “breaks out”? So, like, on Monday morning
all the folks who worshiped together Sunday just start spontaneously singing
the same song in the same key at the same time no matter where they are?
OK, I get what they’re trying to say: “we want to connect with God, not be
the audience for your concert ministry, God-focused though it may be.”  But
please, say what you mean and mean what you say.

God is specific and intentional when he talks about “worship” in the Bible.
He uses words that refer to bowing down - both physically and as a metaphor
(a picture) of willful surrender.  The Hebrew “bowing” phrases in Exodus
4:31, 12:27, 34:8; 2 Chronicles 20:18;  Nehemiah 8:6 translate literally
“bowing down, he[they] bowed down.” The first “bow” states a literal action.
The second “bow” is a metaphor, resulting in “he[they] bowed down and
worshiped.”*

There are many modern usages of “worship” which contribute to the many
misconceptions of biblical Christian worship. Here are some synonyms for
“worship” from Princeton University’s online dictionary:
• to idolize: love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess;
venerate as an idol; "Many teenagers idolized the Beatles"
• to show devotion to (a deity); "Many Hindus worship Shiva"
• the activity of worshiping
• to attend religious services; "They worship in the traditional
manner"
• a feeling of profound love and admiration

None of these captures the biblical concept. The crucial issue is to avoid
transplanting wrong meanings for “worship” when we read Bible passages on
the topic. When he published the first English translation of the Bible from
the original Hebrew and Greek texts in 1536, William Tyndale used “worship”
to mean “to bow in obeisance.” He explains this in his ”Prologue to Exodus.”

Obeisance is an older word meaning to bow down in willful submission. So in
Genesis 24:26 Abraham’s servant, in response to God’s provision while
searching for a wife for Isaac, “bowed low and worshiped the Lord.”
Literally it’s, he “bowed low and bowed down.” Tyndale saw that the servant
bowed down physically to show willful surrender to God’s sovereign
provision. He bowed down and worshiped.

The God of the Bible equates “worship” with willful submission to him. He
does not equate it with artistic expression, an emotional or aesthetic
experience, or mindless recitation of religious poetry or Scripture itself.

Our challenge today is to remain true to God’s idea of worship as we see it
in Scripture and to avoid being pulled in by the tentacles of the “worship
industry.”

*I recommend “Worship: Obeisance to Christ through participation with Christ
– An Action Guide” by Dr. John Hubley at http://www.mindheart.com/