As I recapped in my first prayer blog post, What Happened to Monday?, our world has been flipped upside due to COVID-19, racial tensions and political unrest. In response to the pandemic, many government leaders were forced to make citywide and nationwide decisions that have impacted all facets of society, including the Church. For the first time, at least in my lifetime, churches across the world closed their physical doors and have taken to social media to stream church services online.
Our church community decided to do something a little different and instead of streaming, we decided to do online community groups so we could see and check in with each other and maintain our social connections while our physical location was closed.
I admit that at first, it was not so bad. Nothing will ever replace in-person meetings, but as a temporary solution, it was amazing. I personally connected with members of our congregation in ways I never imagined, and we were able to support one another particularly at the very beginning when things were most uncertain.
Corporate worship, however, suffered. After many honest conversations, prayer, and planning, we decided to begin gathering again in person, offering a stream alternative to ensure the safety of those with increased health risks.
I am connected with pastors and worship pastors all over the city and have been disappointed at the lack of attendance we are all experiencing for corporate worship. In the era of social media, where folks have a tendency to expose their lives, we can all see that folks in our congregations are traveling, shopping, eating out at restaurants, working and going about their lives. The only place that seems to pose a "risk" for some appears to be inside church walls.
This reality discouraged me for some time, which is why I was so excited to see that the focus for Day 12 was for God to give us a passion for worship. I never think to pray about that. Yet, as a follower of Christ, worshipper and worship leader, this is an area I am particularly passionate about.
Restoring our passion for worship means we must bring our focus back to Jesus. When we are hyper-focused on overcoming momentary troubles, we lose sight of the One who has overcome the world.
Attendance and services may look different right now, but our object of worship remains the same. You see, irrespective of what happens locally, nationally, or globally, Jesus is still enthroned and is still worthy of praise and adoration.
I recently heard a powerful testimony in a video from a young man who experienced heaven and hell, and the way he describes being in the presence of God may offer some insight on how to regain our passion for worship (for those who may have lost it). And by the way, his description aligns with Scripture in Revelation 4.
The young man describes being in the presence of God as a place of reverence. His presence is so strong, he says, that all you want to do is serve Him and wait for His command. His presence, the young man described, is “beyond satisfying” and provides a strong sense of “accomplishment and satisfaction”, more than anything that can be imagined here on earth. He continued, “Nothing compares to just standing there, looking at God, waiting to hear what He has to say.”
When also asked what he saw in heaven, the young man shared that there was an animal, like a lion, and other creatures with many eyes surrounding the throne (also in Rev. 4). When the minister asked him if the creatures looked at him, he said the creatures never took theirs eyes of God. Wow!
I have always described worship as our response to the goodness of God. When we consider how dark and destructive our lives were without Christ, we have no choice than to respond with passionate love and thanksgiving for His saving grace. When I consider the mess Jesus took me out of, I stand in reverent awe at the miracle he has done in transforming my life. Yet in the video testimony, it is apparent that praises in heaven are not offered in response to a blessing; they are offered simply because of who He is. This is important to grasp, because if we are going to maintain our passion for worship, we must always fix our eyes on Jesus, no matter what. When fail to do so, we base our worship on our shifting circumstances and feelings, not on the reality that He is eternally good.
One more thing. I am convinced that when we lose our reverence for God, we lose reverence for His people, and when we lose reverence for His people, we have lost our reverence for God. Worship is an eternal enterprise, and corporate worship is the only activity under the sun that reflects the activity we will doing together in heaven.
Jesus is not coming for a person. He is coming for a people. So no, it's not enough to worship God in our living rooms by ourselves (though there is a time for that). We experience a taste of eternity when we come together with one heart and speak with one voice the praises and thanksgiving due to His name.
1 Peter 4:9 says "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession". Notice that it does not say a chosen person, royal priest and holy person. No, it says "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
Worship is a people coming together, joining with saints and angels in the heavenly place, praising God, through Jesus, simply because He is. I pray that as you consider who God is, and you grasp His love for his people, that your passion for worship and corporate worship grows.
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