How
God Evaluates Worship
by Jack Hayford
In
my experience, theological discussions about worship
tend to focus on the cerebral, not the visceral—on
the mind, not the heart. "True" worship, we
are often taught, is more about the mind thinking right
about God (using theologically correct language and
liturgy), rather than the heart's hunger for him.
But the words
of our Savior resound the undeniable call to worship that transcends
the intellect: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must
worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
We've been
inclined to conclude that mind is the proper synonym
for spirit here, but the Bible shows that heart is a
better candidate. "In truth" certainly suggests
participation of the intellect in worship, but it is
inescapably second—and dependent upon the heart's
fullest release first.
This priority
is usually held suspect. The heart is said to be governed by affections
and thus is more vulnerable to deception than is the intellect.
But to base worship on the intellect is to entertain a dual delusion:
first, that the mind is less subject to deception than is the heart;
second, that the mind is the main means to "contact" God
in worship (note verses like Job 11:7: "Can you fathom the
mysteries of God?").
Yes, human
intelligence contributes to worship, but God's Word
indicates he is not looking for something brilliant
but something broken: "The sacrifices of God are
a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these,
O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17).
The exercises
of our enlightened minds may deduce God, but only our
ignited hearts can delight him—and in turn experience
his desire to delight us!
To be more
specific, I believe that to please God, worship must do four things.
1.
True worship treasures God's presence. God welcomes those
into his presence who want him. The quest may be one of desperation
or of delight, of frantic need or of a loving hunger for fellowship,
but the motivation is clear--and so is his pleasure with it.
In Exodus 33
and 34, a tender and powerful exchange takes place between God and
Moses, spanning the range from an intimate face-to-face encounter
to a dramatic declaration by the Almighty. Central is the cry of
Moses: "Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in your
sight, show me now your way, that I may know you and that I may
find grace in your sight."
To which God
replies, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you
rest" (Ex. 33:13-15). Shortly following this, God displays
his glory to Moses--as sure a sign of his pleasure and presence
as he ever gives (Ex. 40:33-38; 1 Kings 1:8-11).
I had been
in pastoral leadership for nearly 15 years when my thinking about
corporate worship was transformed. Rather than tightly regimented
gatherings, concerned over aesthetics, mechanics, and academic theology,
we began to provide an unpressured portion of the service for free-flowing
songs of praise and adoration. Within two years, our church began
to experience God's glory and grace in new and more profound ways,
an experience that continues still.
We've been
vigilant in seeking constant renewal of the practice because we
know that even the finest spiritual habits are vulnerable to the
arthritis of ritualism--when form loses its focus. But with gentleness,
the Holy Spirit has a way of drawing us back to our "first
love"--to a renewed hunger and thirst for the Living God.
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Jack
Hayford Ministries
14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405-2233