What is Worship? Part 1a

For a leadership group I am in, I am going to be studying hymnology, but as a precursor it has been requested that I start with what worship is. So, what is worship? That is a broad question not answered easily. However, I have compiled five basic answers from the texts I have been reading to answer this question.

• Gill: "Godliness is the ground work of internal worship, and without which there can be no worshipping(sic) God aright." (A Body of Practical Divinity: Book I, Chapter 2)
• Piper: "Worship is a way of gladly reflecting back to God the radiance of His worth." (p.84)
• Morey: "True worship is ministering to the Lord." (p.105) and "Worship is all of life." (p.14)
• Frame: "Worship is the work of acknowledging the greatness of our covenant Lord." (p.1)

You may ask which one is correct, but the point of this is to gain an understanding of what worship is, so I would argue that they all are correct. My study will incorporate all definitions, as they are not contrasting, but simply different perspectives from pastors with different personalities.

First, let's take some time to examine the word "worship" as used in the Bible, in the original languages. (For a more extensive study, see my friend Glenn's blog for starters.) There are two main groups of words that are most commonly translated "worship." The first is "Abodah" in Hebrew, and "latreia" in Greek, which means "service." From this, we can see that worship is an action. A person must actually participate in worship; it is not sufficient to be a mere spectator at some entertainment event. Also, it is a conscious act, not consequential. It is not something you end up doing while singing or clapping your hands. A person must set out with the intent to worship, and then anything else is consequence. This is because worship starts in the heart, which we will get to in a minute. The second set of words is "shachah" in Hebrew, and "proskuneo" in Greek, which means "to bow down." The first thing that this implies is that we are honoring someone superior to ourselves. This is the right mindset to get into, to remember that God is above you, and not your buddy or boyfriend. A person must have the highest reverence for God and understand WHY he is worshiping Him. He is superior in all things, bow to Him! To do otherwise is contradictory in the root of the very word worship itself. The second thing this means is that the purpose is to please Him first, and any benefits we receive are secondary. A person should not worship with the intent of cheering themselves up or reaching some sort of spiritual high. It is to please the Almighty, and then it just so happens that we obtain feelings of joy or bliss from that. Those secondary benefits don't even always come, even when a person is truly worshiping in his heart. It is in those times he presses on, because he has the hope that even if the LORD doesn't lighten his heart in this life, He will in the life to come. That joy is ever flowing. If a person worships to obtain spiritual highs, he will never be satisfied. His worship would be self-centered and one would doubt his salvation. There is no rock to stand on when the tide rises if worship is only a means to happiness. So from the origins of the word, we see that worship is a conscience act of service to a being greater than yourself for their benefit.

Having an understanding of the word worship is not sufficient to say we have an understanding of what it is. We know it is an act towards a being, but what is the act and who is the being? Stay tuned for the answers to these questions and more. Part 1 will continue in two more sections, with a Part 2 to follow, length undetermined as of yet.

The sources I am referencing for this study are as follows:

1. Frame, John - Worship in Spirit and Truth
2. Morey, Robert - Worship: It's Not Just Sunday Morning
3. Gill's Archive (http://www.pbministries.org/books/gill/gills_archive.htm)
4. Piper, John - Desiring God
5. Nave's Topical Dictionary