SPIRIT AND TRUTH

I will never claim to know every single complexity or nuance of Christ-inspired worship. The Creator God who set the universe in motion is much too deep for any individual or "creation" to make such a claim. With that said, the aim of this writing is not to impose a junk heap of "head knowledge" on all who read and glorify myself (God forbid) by exacting everything I think on the internet. My purpose here is to share with all who read what God has been revealing to me through study, prayer, and meditation. I hope this brings a sense of encouragement, refreshment, and excitement to all worshipers who plan on attending (or giving their life to) Sojourn Community Church, as well as all Christ followers who read this. Though I am truly a fallible man representing an infallible Christ, my hope is that these ideas would spur you to reassess, and reconsider your own walk with Him in the manner of corporate worship.


I've played in several worship bands, in several different scenarios, on several different teams, with several different churches in my short time on this earth. I've come to one consistent conclusion every time: every experience is different and reveals a new facet of God's glory. It is a popular theme in our churches to buffet what we don't like about other churches' styles of worship. It is also popular to say "I can't worship to that stuff". I'm guilty of it. I think we should repent and ask God to open our hearts to every worship experience He has for us to offer up to Him. As Christians we are constant worshipers. EVERY THING WE DO IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP. Am I asking every Christian to sit through hours and hours of agonizing music just to prove the fact that they are true worshipers? No. The Ultimate question for us to ask as Christ followers is this: Am I more content with the worship music I am hearing being good and pleasing to my ears...or is Christ glorified? God is transcendent of musical style and culture. We cannot be naive enough (or arrogant enough) to say that God is more glorified in one church than another, or more in one city than another. Excellence in worship music is another subject altogether, but please do consider the fact that God may be seeking your worship regardless of your current discomfort or circumstance. In his book "Unceasing Worship" Harold Best says "Being completely and authentically Christian is a profound undertaking, a discipline of magnificent proportion and complexity. It takes every second of redeemed time and every ounce of redeemed strength. It is a welcome and winsome mix of work, rest, and celebration. It is a God-authored consortium of things made and things believed, and, in God's plan, a life of constant worship."


So then there's the question of why worship in a corporate gathering is important. First of all...it's biblical. You'll find it littered throughout the Old Testament (Exodus 25:8, 40:34-38; 1 Chronicles 22:19; 2 Chronicles 5:13-14). Also in the New Testament the apostle Paul applies the concept of "temple" to the individual person (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) and to the Christian community as a whole (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Second of all...if we are to be full worshipers of God in Christ, then corporate gathering is absolutely necessary because it is a necessary aspect of experiencing the glory of God. In an essay by Timothy J. Ralston, the writer asserts that "whenever believers gather in community, they form the earthly sanctuary in which God's rule is manifested and God's sacrifices are offered." This is a beautiful statement to me. We have the opportunity to worship our beautiful Creator where we are standing, but gathering with fellow believers is a different animal altogether. There is also the dispute of God "showing up" in certain situations of worship. Although I do understand the idea that we do go to deeper levels with God at different times, and that God responds to those who worship him "in spirit and truth", I'd like to just clarify what I've learned and share it with you. If we assume that the book of Jeremiah is true (which it is) then God is one who is both near and far. He is omnipresent and fills both heaven and the earth. So under that assumption, God is right where we're standing. So the idea is that He is already in our church buildings, our homes, our offices,...you name it. So we cannot cause God to leave through "bad worship". He simply chooses to manifest His glory where He sees fit, and where He sees fit is in the hearts of those who worship Him with deep affection and a deep thirst for the Truth revealed through scripture. And in a room filled with believers of that capacity, who is to deny the glory that may be manifested there? If we choose not to open ourselves to the infinite manifestations of God's glory we are seriously robbing ourselves of our walk with Christ. Though no person is able to experience God in His fullest capacity, it is God's desire for us to experience Him in OUR fullest capacity.

And the final question I feel is important to close this out: How do I know I am truly worhipping God? I can't count the number of times I've asked myself the same question in all phases of my personal walk with Christ. The good news is that this is a sign of humility, out of a true heart to want to worship Him. All believers are subject to constant sanctification and growth in Him. The way we know that we are worshipping "in spirit and truth" is the same way we gained life itself: through Jesus Christ. It's simple really. We are able to hear the Gospel of Christ, realize who God is and what He has done, and it will cause authentic worship. God did not send Christ to die for us so that we would wear it as a badge and pat God on the back once in a while. He saved us so we would worship Him. He knew that our deepest affections for Him would not come through our own shallow understanding of His fullness, but our understanding of the mercy and grace of a God who would die to reconcile His people back to Him.

More importantly to understand what authentic worship is, we look to the perfect worshipper: Jesus Christ. His whole life was worship.

So again, I know that was a lot, but it is my prayer that all believers and those who will be apart of Sojourn Community alike will ask God to allow the Gospel to take root in their hearts and inspire true worship. Please labor with me in tearing down our self-imposed walls through the glorification of Jesus through all means of worship.

Ryan P.