The best, most beautiful, and most perfect way that we have of expressing a sweet concord of mind to each other is by music. -Jonathan Edwards
We are a people that have no problems expressing ourselves, especially when it comes to things we are emotionally attached to. We can express our feelings over an intense sporting event with buddies or a tear jerking movie with our girlfriends. But why do we have such a hard time expressing our affections for God?
I love music. I love listening to it and getting lost in it’s beauty. I love creating music, playing music, and singing. It is a heavenly release for me.
But when it comes to worship, how do we express what is going on in our hearts? What are the biblical standards for these expressions?
If worship is more than just singing, in what other ways should we be expressing it?
If worship is our response to the goodness and grace of God reconciling sinners to Himself, certainly singing and raising our hands are only the beginning.
That’s why I’m launching this series Expressions of Worship. I want to take a look at the biblical model for expressing our worship beyond singing. My hope is that maybe we both can learn a thing or two about how to express what is going on in our hearts. But I also would like to encourage you to share these with your worship ministries, teams, and ultimately your church.
Here are just a few of the areas I am going to cover:
- Bowing/Kneeling
- Standing
- Dancing
- Raising Hands
- Playing Instruments
- Clapping
- Speaking
- Singing
- Silence
This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a great starting point. We’ll take a look at each expression, the biblical command or concept, and how to implement it into your worship environment.
We have a great opportunity to not only lead them in worship, but also to teach them the proper ways of worshiping.
May these posts push you, challenge you, and encourage you in your pursuit of God.
