A new definition of "Worship Leader"

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Aug 14, 2008
    • As I read books and articles on worship I'm always interested in other peoples definitions of worship. These definitions always give insight into the authors thoughts on the subject. Bob Kauflin has recently released a book called "Worship Matters" in which he defines the task of a Worship Leader. His definition is:

    A faithful worship leader
    magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ
    through the power of the Holy Spirit
    by skillfully combining God's Word with music,
    thereby motivating the gathered church
    to proclaim the gospel, to cherish God's presence,
    and to live for God's glory.

    His book takes 12 chapters to break that down further and thoroughly explain each point, but I will just leave you with his definition to ponder on. If you'd like to get a copy of his book you can find it here.

    The Height of Irreverance?

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Aug 5, 2008

    • I recently returned from the WorshipGod '08 conference in Gaithersburg, MD (Washington DC area). Sorry there's not much going on in the picture but at least it's proof I was there.

    The focus of the conference was the Psalms in worship. The worship times were rich and the messages and seminars for the most part were helpful and refreshing. I imagine as I continue to process the things from that trip, those thoughts will leak into my blog posts. If you want to hear some of the messages firsthand you can visit the Sovereign Grace website and download messages. You can also sample much of the music we sang during the conference by visiting the WG08 site.

    Here's your thought for today from conference speaker Craig Cabaniss from his message on Psalm 33.
    "Reverant worship is ultimately about responding to God in a way that He has prescribed He be worshipped, because reverance ultimately has to do with obedience... It is perhaps the height of irreverance for me to approach God and say 'God, I will worship you in a way that is pleasing to me. ' "(i.e. to worship Him only in ways that are comfortable for me due to culture, background, preference, etc.).

    Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Jul 15, 2008
    • Piggy-backing off the last post related to the appropriateness of entertainment in our worship, I've copied some quotes from Charles Spurgeon's "Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?". He has a few choice words on the topic.


    An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.

    From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.
    …Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear him say, "Run after these people Peter and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick Peter, we must get the people somehow." Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.

    To read more from "Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?" click here.

    Worship is NOT Entertainment

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Jun 22, 2008
    • I pulled this off another blog. It's so easy to get sucked into the "entertainment" mindset even when it comes to our sacred act of worship.

    The call for entertainment in worship in our time is often cast in a particularly seductive form. Entertainment is often sold in the name of evangelism. We are told that we must make worship interesting and existing for the unconverted so that they will come to church and be converted. At first glance that argument is very appealing. We all want to see many brought to faith in Christ. Who wants to be against evangelism? But we must remember: entertainment is not evangelism, and evangelism is not worship...

    People are evangelized, not by a juggler, but by the presentation of the Gospel. And while evangelism may occur in worship as the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed, the purpose and focus of worship is that those who believe in Christ should gather and meet with God.

    1 Corinthians 14:24-25 reminds us that, when the body of believers is properly worshiping, unbelievers will be drawn to God by their worship and unity - "But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"


    The High Calling of a Song Writer

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Apr 28, 2008

    • There is often criticism today that much of the contemporary Christian music being written is light on theology, doctrine, and content, and heavy on sentimentality and needless repetition. While my post today is not meant to be a debate on the value of CCM for the church, I do want to make a few observations, especially as it relates to those songs we choose to use, or write, for corporate involvement in our churches.

    Colossian 3:16 reminds us that “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” are meant to teach and admonish the body of Christ. And, if music’s proper function in the church includes “teaching and admonishing”, it ought to be more than just an emotional stimulant. I agree with John McArthur when he writes that

    "music and preaching should have the same aim. Both properly pertain to the proclamation of God’s Word. Preaching is properly seen as an aspect of our worship. And conversely, music is properly seen as an aspect of the ministry of the Word, just like preaching.”

    And here’s the kicker that elevates the writing of song to a higher plane,
    “the songwriter ought to be as skilled in Scripture and as concerned for theological precision as the preacher, Even more so, because the songs he writes are likely to be sung again and again (unlike a sermon that is preached only once).” (emphasis mine)

    So, songwriters out there, consider your calling a high one. Do great diligence in crafting your lyric, for people may be taught by it (either correctly or incorrectly) for years to come. And consider the significance of 1 Kings 4:31 which says of Solomon that “he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations.” In other words, if Solomon hadn’t been in the land, 2 musicians, Ethan & Heman, would have been the wisest men. Musicians are teachers of the highest order.

    10 Questions to Ask About Worship

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Apr 19, 2008

    • I was recently reviewing a chapter by John MacArthur in the book "Fool's Gold?" which ended with 10 questions pastor's, church leaders, and congregations should be asking about the worship music they use. I welcome your comments as you evaluate the music your church sings or plays in worship (yes, even those of you that attend my church).

    1. Is your church music God-focused?
      Anything short of God-centered worship is idolatry. Because the purpose of church music is to provide a vehicle for worship it must be God-focused rather than man-centered.

    2. Does your church music promote a high view of God?
      Music that is worthy of our Savior must promote an accurate and exalted view of who He is.

    3. Is your church music orderly?

    4. Is the content of your church music biblically sound?
      Lyrics should be both intelligible and biblically accurate.

    5. Does your church music promote unity in your church?
      The goal of corporate worship is to glorify God while serving others. The right approach to church music never selfishly demands personal preference, but always looks out for the interests of others (Phil 2:1-4)

    6. Is your church music performed with excellence?
      If it bears the name of our Lord, it’s worthy of our best.

    7. Does your church music prepare your people for the preaching of God’s Word?
      It is only through God’s Word that we learn about Him, so, worship through song should complement the proclamation of the truth.

    8. Does your church music adorn the gospel of Jesus Christ?

    9. Does your church music promote passionate worship?
      Biblical worship is always brimming with personal passion and Christ-exalting emotion.

    10. Is your church’s philosophy of music based on biblical principles?
      Although numerous preferences and opinions exist, your church’s philosophy of music must be based on biblical principles.

    Growing in Physical Expressiveness in Worship - Part 5 (last)

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Apr 8, 2008
    • In this last part of the series on physical expressiveness in worship let's talk about how do deal with the commands in Scripture regarding corporate worship expression (i.e. "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy." - Ps 47:1). There's some really good stuff in here.

    In a set of unpublished notes from a course he has taught, Iain Duguid suggests that three possibilities exist when we are dealing with commands for corporate worship from the Old Testament.
    1. It’s a command that points forward to fulfillment in Jesus, so it no longer applies. Animal sacrifices would be the most obvious example.
    2. It’s a command that applies enduringly and universally to all of God’s people and should be obeyed. For instance we are never to worship idols nor worship God in a merely external manner.
    3. It’s a command that reflects cultural and local practices given to ethnic Israel, which do not govern us directly but merely in “their general equity.”

    It would be a stretch to say that lifting hands, shouting, or dancing, for instance, has been fulfilled in Jesus. But does that mean they are commands that are always to be obeyed when we gather to exalt God? That would be a hard case to make as well. If that’s true, does that mean senior saints, those who are paralyzed, and uncoordinated people are in sin? No.

    So that leaves us with the third category – culturally related commands that need to be applied in our specific context. However, I think we can do better than simply tell people, “Interpret these Scriptural commands for physical expressiveness in way you feel comfortable with.” That doesn’t address those who don’t show physical expression in worship due to laziness, selfishness, fear of man, or other idolatries. It also doesn’t acknowledge that many different “cultures” may exist in our culture, and that the church in many ways is called to be counter-cultural.

    This is an example of the danger of looking for specific rules and commands to follow in gathered worship to make sure we’re doing everything “right.” We too easily justify ourselves before God by what we do or don’t do, and end up missing the weightier issue of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Rather than arguing whether a specific command applies to us at this specific moment, it’s better to ask, “Do our minds, hearts, and bodies reflect the overall biblical case for how we are to respond to God?"


    Let's end with some thought provoking questions Iain asks of those who insist God doesn't "command" us to clap, shout, etc. therefore we don't have to.

    1. Assuming that God want us to exalt Him with our bodies, what physical expressions of praise in Scripture do you think ARE appropriate in corporate worship? How do you distinguish between what’s appropriate and what’s not?
    2. Do you think that all forms of physical expressiveness are natural, or that they can be learned?
    3. Is there a possibility that your resistance to physical expression is more rooted in laziness, lack of understanding, or a craving for people’s respect? How do you know?
    4. Is singing appropriate for worshipping God? If so, why not shouting? ( Ps. 71:23; 81:1)
    5. Are there any physical expressions of worship modeled or commanded in the Bible that you’ve never engaged in? If so, why not?

    Growing in Physical Expressiveness in Worship - Part 4

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Mar 25, 2008
    • Sorry for the delay in making another post. Preparations for Easter celebration at our church took over for a few days. I hope everyone had an incredible resurrection celebration. We are winding down our discussion of physical expressiveness in worship. I realize there are varying views on this issue. I hope the stuff I've been posting has at least stimulated you to think about the proper Biblical approach to this subject. We'll continue here with insights from Bob Kauflin at www.worshipmatters.com.

    Let me say that in issues regarding our faith, physical expressiveness in corporate worship is an important but secondary issue. I have no problem worshiping God with a church that may be more enthusiastic or reserved than I’m used to, as long as they are proclaiming the same Gospel and glorying in the same Savior.

    However, our culture tends to separate head and heart, doctrine and devotion. Some congregations sing profoundly biblical lyrics with no visible effect (which doesn’t always mean they aren’t affected). Other churches are enthusiastically expressive, but seem to be pursuing experiences more than God (which again isn’t always true). So that leads to a fourth suggestion to help a church grow in natural expressiveness:

    4. Preach and sing the Word, works, and worth of God, centered on the Gospel, to raise the affections of people for God.

    This might have made a better first point. We don’t help people grow in God-glorifying expressiveness simply by explaining it or telling them to lift their hands. Teaching and encouragement may be necessary at times, but directing people’s gaze toward God’s glory in Christ is our ultimate motivation and goal.

    Our bodies naturally reflect what affects us. I cringe when a glass of milk is about to be knocked over; I open my arms wide as my daughter runs to greet me; I jump up from the couch with my hands upraised when my team scores the winning goal; I gratefully applaud unselfish acts of service; I cry when a friend’s child dies. Is the church the only place where our bodies can’t express what our minds are comprehending and our hearts are feeling?

    So our goal must be to help people hear, see, and understand the right things. What does this look like? As we sing “No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand,” some might raise their hands to thank God that His plans to save us can not be thwarted. As we sing, “My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part but the whole, has been nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,” some might kneel in grateful adoration that ALL their sins have been paid for. After singing, “Crown Him ye kings with many crowns for He is King of all!” we might hear joyful acclamations of praise to the omnipotent, sovereign, reigning Savior.

    Even when my heart isn’t affected by what I’m singing, expressing my devotion to God bodily can stir up affection in my heart. I raise my hands because God IS worthy to be exalted. I kneel because I AM completely dependent on God for mercy, sustenance, and wisdom. My feet move for joy because my greatest problem – my sin against the holy God – has been solved through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

    Of course, at the end of the day, I’d rather be sitting in the midst of a quiet congregation that is singing rich, doctrinal truths than be jumping around with a lively congregation that is belting out shallow, man-centered songs. But why not pursue both? God doesn’t intend for us to have to choose. We can experience theological depth AND passionate expression.

    Our physical expression should help people see the greatness of God’s glory in Christ. It may feel uncomfortable at times. We may find ourselves on our knees, broken over our sin, while others sing on, seemingly unaffected. It will mean we have to make every effort to engage with GOD, and not simply our emotions. It will certainly mean that we’ll never think any physical expression is adequate to fully express our amazement at God’s mercy in drawing us to Himself through the Savior. It will look different at different times, in different churches, and in different cultures. But there’s no question that we have to help those in our congregations understand that God is worthy of our deepest, strongest, and purest affections. And that our bodies should show it.

    My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody
    with all my being!
    Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!
    I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
    For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. (Ps. 108:1-4)

    Growing in Physical Expressiveness in Worship - Part 3

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Mar 13, 2008
    • Alright, it's time to continue on to part 3 of our discussion on physical expression in worship. We have laid some foundation regarding the appropriateness of physical expression in worshipping God as well as the importance of the heart.

    Previous posts have been addressing steps to encouraging a congregation to follow the Biblical commands related to bodily expression in worship. Bob Kauflin suggests the next step:

    3. Address the different reasons people might be reserved in their expression and teach on preferring others.

    Some Christians are simply unaware of what the Bible teaches about physical responses to God. They don’t know that Scripture is filled with examples of exuberant, passionate worship (Psalm 150; Neh. 8:6; Rev. 5:11-14). Perhaps they’ve grown up in a church environment that elevated certain types of expressions and ignored others. Often simply understanding what the Bible says will bring about a greater freedom in expression.

    Others restrict their responses to God because they’re afraid of what others might think. They wonder if their image as a “respectable” Christian will be tarnished. They’re concerned that people might think they’re pursuing emotionalism. The Bible calls this the fear of man (Prov. 29:25). Our responses to God are based on His worthiness, not some image or reputation we may be trying to protect.

    Some think it’s hypocrisy to express honor towards God physically when they don’t feel anything in their hearts. On the contrary, it’s only hypocritical when we act a certain way to give others a false impression of our spirituality. A better response is to acknowledge our lack of desire for God as evidence of our innate sinfulness, and to begin to fill our minds with truths about His kindness, mercy, holiness, grace, and goodness, especially expressed to us in the Gospel. We then act in faith, trusting that God will give us a greater passion for Him.

    Another reason our physical actions to God are tempered is theological presuppositions. I have good friends I respect deeply who love God passionately, know the Bible much better than I do, and are more reserved in their physical expressiveness. They believe our worship is to be characterized by an attitude of reverence and awe (Heb. 12:28), soberness and solemnity. It’s true that reverence and awe are essential to biblical worship, but can’t bowing down or lifting hands be a sign of that as well? Also, it’s impossible to ignore the multitude of examples and commands in Scripture that emphasize celebration, passion, delight, and exuberance, all reflected through our bodies. The question to ask ourselves is this: Is there any physical expression of worship that God has given us in Scripture that I’ve never displayed? If so, why?

    Finally, some think that worship is a matter of the heart, not the body. Actually, both are crucial. If I told my wife that I loved her in my heart, but never demonstrated it through physical actions, I doubt that she would believe me. We wouldn’t have much of a marriage either.

    In every church there will be varying degrees of physical expressiveness. While the focus of our bodily expression is God Himself, we are called in love to do what is edifying to others (1 Cor. 14:12; 13:1-8). That means I don’t break into loud shouting and enthusiastic dancing just because I feel like it. I want people to see the glory and greatness of God, not my physical displays. I also don’t assume that those who are physically expressive are seeking attention, hypocritical, or insensitive to others. Perhaps God wants me to learn from their unhindered and sincere expressiveness.

    Our focus should be exalting God in a way that magnifies both His infinite holiness and His unfathomable grace which has brought us near to Him through Jesus Christ. Our culture, personality, or background doesn’t ultimately determine what that looks like – God does. May our churches be filled with the kind of truth and expression that most clearly communicates to others the value of the One we worship.

    It's about the HEART not the ART

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Mar 7, 2008
    • Recently, in a sermon about worship, our pastor made the statement that, when it comes to worship that God desires and accepts, "it's about the heart, not the art". A simple yet profound statement and one that I think is worthy for a brief diversion from our discussion on physical expressiveness in worship. It's actually not a diversion, but more of an insertion into the series we've been discussing. In fact, the last post ended with the reminder from 1 Samuel 16:7 that God looks upon the heart, not the externals.
    Closing our worship service that week we had a soloist sing Matt Redman's song "The Heart of Worship". Many of us are familiar with the song but probably not the background behind it. Here's the story behind the song taken from an interview with Matt on crosswalk.com.
    The song dates back to the late 1990s, born from a period of apathy within Matt’s home church, Soul Survivor, in Watford, England. Despite the country’s overall contribution to the current worship revival, Redman’s congregation was struggling to find meaning in its musical outpouring at the time.

    “There was a dynamic missing, so the pastor did a pretty brave thing,” he recalls. “He decided to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and we gathered together with just our voices. His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away."

    Reminding his church family to be producers in worship, not just consumers, the pastor, Mike Pilavachi, asked, “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?”

    Matt says the question initially led to some embarrassing silence, but eventually people broke into a cappella songs and heartfelt prayers, encountering God in a fresh way.

    “Before long, we reintroduced the musicians and sound system, as we’d gained a new perspective that worship is all about Jesus, and He commands a response in the depths of our souls no matter what the circumstance and setting. ‘The Heart of Worship’ simply describes what occurred.”

    When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come / Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart… / I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus

    Redman remembers writing the song quickly in his bedroom soon after the church’s journey together, with no grand intentions, by any means, for it to become an international anthem. He viewed the words simply as his personal, subjective response to what he was learning about worship.

    But when Matt shared “The Heart of Worship” with Pilavachi, the pastor suggested making a few small adjustments to the lyrics so any member of the church could relate to it as well.

    Amazed by how God has since taken the song around the world for His purposes, the songwriter smiles in regard to his own lack of foresight. “It nearly didn’t go any further than my bedroom. But I love that…”

    Verse 1:
    When the music fades and all is stripped away
    And I simply come
    Longing just to bring something that's of worth
    That will bless Your heart

     Bridge:
    I'll bring You more than a song for a song in itself
    Is not what You have required
    You search much deeper within through the way things appear
    You're looking into my heart

     Chorus:
    I'm coming back to the heart of worship and it's all about You,
    It's all about You, Jesus
    I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it when it's all about You,
    It's all about You, Jesus

     Verse 2:
    King of endless worth no one could express
    How much You deserve
    Though I'm weak and poor all I have is Yours
    Every single breath

    Growing in Physical Expressiveness in Worship - Part 2

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Feb 28, 2008
    • During our church choir rehearsal last night we began a conversation regarding the topic of physical expression in our worship. After referring them all to this blog for further discussion I realized it was time to make the next post on the subject. Again, I have been quoting a lot from Bob Kauflin's blog www.worshipmatters.com as he has done an excellent job addressing the subject. Based on our conversation last night regarding "authentic" vs "manufactured" espressivness, I thought it appropriate to restate the final paragraph from last weeks post.
    we must teach our people that physical expression is appropriate in biblical worship. We aren’t disembodied spirits. God intends that we use our whole beings to bring him praise ( Ps. 16:9). But how and how much? We don’t simply tell people to “sing like they mean it,” or “jump higher for Jesus,” although in my early zeal to see God honored I crossed that line a few times. Commanding a physical response can produce artificial affection and actually end up being dishonoring to God. Nevertheless, it’s clear from Scripture God expects us to use our bodies to glorify Him both in corporate worship and in all of life. He is infinitely glorious, desirable, good, and worthy of our strongest and purest affections.

    Just a reminder that in these post we are addressing the question “Exactly how, and how much should we encourage our people to follow the numerous commands throughout Scripture of bodily expression (as a natural outpouring of the heart)?

    Here's a second thing to do to lead your church into biblical physical expression according to Kauflin:

    2. Teach that physical expression should flow from a heart that desires to bring God glory, and that outward expressions are no sign one way or the other that someone is offering God acceptable worship.

    God strongly rebukes those who think physical expression makes up for an idolatrous heart or disobedient life. Moving our church into greater physical expressivness that’s not rooted in a clear view of God’s glory will hinder, not help, true worship.

    One of the actions that supposedly signifies spirituality is lifting hands. Lifting hands can express a wide range of emotions and attitudes - dependence, gratefulness, expectation, reverence, or celebration. However, God condemned both the actions and motives of the Israelites through His prophet Isaiah.

    When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. (Is. 1:15)

    The hands we lift to worship God should be holy hands (1 Tim. 2:8

    ), made so through our humble trust in the atoning work of the Savior.

    In our culture singing has become almost synonymous with worship. But God turns a deaf ear to singing that isn’t accompanied by righteous living.

    “Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:23-24)

    I’ve known more than one person who was exuberant in corporate worship who lived in unrepentant sin. I’ve also known people who exhibit little physical expression on Sundays but have a thorough knowledge of Scripture, an exemplary life, and a profound love for the Savior. We never prove our devotion to God by external acts alone. God looks upon the heart (1 Sam. 16:7

    ).

    Growing in Physical Expressiveness in Worship - Part 1

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  • Posted by Troy Friesen
  • Feb 15, 2008
    • Discussing the area of physical expressiveness in worship should provide some good interaction for awhile as people have varying opinions on the matter. The Scriptures certainly reference many different kinds of appropriate physical expression, which, depending on your church culture, may or may not be commonplace in your current worship experience.

    To kick off our discussion in this area I thought I'd post some excerpts from Bob Kauflin's blog www.worshipmatters.com in which he addresses the question “Exactly how, and how much should we encourage our people to follow the numerous commands throughout Scripture of bodily expression (as a natural outpouring of the heart)?

    Here is the 1st part of Bob's answer related to this question:

    First, I want to thank this pastor and his team for their humility in seeking to wrestle through this issue from a biblical perspective. His background and training have minimized physical expression, but he is realizing that although bodily expression in worship is not the MAIN issue, it can reflect an inward reality.

    Responses to this question range from sober reverence – “do what you’d do in the presence of royalty” - to complete freedom – “do whatever God commands in Scripture.” I think the answer is a little more nuanced than either of these extremes suggest. For that reason, I want to take a few posts to answer this question.

    Here are my recommendations for how to lead your church into biblical physical expression. (I adapted these four points from Mark Alderton, a pastor in one of the Sovereign Grace Churches in Minnesota.)

    1. Teach on the appropriateness of physical expression in worshipping God.

    Worship of God was never meant to be mere intellectual engagement with biblical truths. Nor is it limited to an inner emotional response. God created our bodies to glorify him (1 Cor. 6:20). We aren’t pursuing a Gnostic spirituality that downplays or negates the importance of the body in true spirituality (Rom. 12:1; Phil. 1:20). God commands us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That certainly includes the bodies he’s given us.

    Many of the words that we translate as “worship” in both Greek and Hebrew contain the idea of bodily movement. The two most prominent words – histahawah in the Old Testament, and proskynein in the Greek – connote the idea of bending over at the waist or bowing down as an expression of homage. In addition, physical expression is both commanded and spontaneously modeled in Scripture as a way of giving God glory. (Ex. 12:27; Job 1:20; Ps. 47:1; Ps. 95:6). Those expressions include clapping, singing, bowing, kneeling, lifting hands, shouting, playing instruments, dancing, and standing in awe (Ps. 47:1; Eph. 5:19; Ps. 95:6; Ps. 134:2; Ps. 33:1; Rev. 15:2; Ps. 149:3; Ps. 22:23).

    Some have pointed out that the New Testament contains few references to physical expression other than kneeling, singing, and lifting hands (although this last one isn’t emphasized too often). However, it’s not readily apparent that the bodily responses commanded in the Old Testament have been superseded or fulfilled in Christ’s high priestly work, or that we now obey them only in a “spiritualized” manner. (“I’m shouting in my heart.”) Rather, we need to seek to apply these Scriptures in a way that truly honors God and edifies the church.

    ...we must teach our people that physical expression is appropriate in biblical worship. We aren’t disembodied spirits. God intends that we use our whole beings to bring him praise (Ps. 16:9

    ). But how and how much? We don’t simply tell people to “sing like they mean it,” or “jump higher for Jesus,” although in my early zeal to see God honored I crossed that line a few times. Commanding a physical response can produce artificial affection and actually end up being dishonoring to God. Nevertheless, it’s clear from Scripture God expects us to use our bodies to glorify Him both in corporate worship and in all of life. He is infinitely glorious, desirable, good, and worthy of our strongest and purest affections.


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