Praise Experience

This morning I attended church at PMC in Berrien Springs. I was hoping for several things. I hoped that Dwight Nelson would be the speaker, for he always has something important to think about and invests a lot of effort into making the presentation attractive and effective. I was hoping that we would be in time for the worship and praise music and if we were fortunate that the musicians would be somewhat skilled and organized. I have been disappointed many times over the years by the quality of the praise teams and their delivery given the resources that are available in such a community as this.

I was more than surprised by the experience we enjoyed today. As the praise team assembled and warmed up just after Sabbath School I knew we were in for something very unusual and wonderful. The team was composed of a string ensemble, several guitars and a bass, an excellent pianist and a quartet of singers who actually were singing parts and blended well.

I hate to say it, but most of the teams I have observed over the years since I was on a praise team at this church maybe 10 years ago now, most of the singers have not bothered to practice enough or care enough to create a quality atmosphere for what I believe is needed for a good corporate worship experience. Too often they just try to imitate their favorite artists they hear on the radio without going to the work to supply the needed musical support. They often don't even sing any harmony parts. They just sing along in unison as best they can and have a few backup musicians that seem to be whomever they could round up or were friends of theirs. I had seriously begun to wonder if it has become out of fashion to sing harmony parts any more or maybe that was considered too old-fashioned and out of date.

This group this morning revived my hope that there are still people who believe in and are willing to invest in what it takes to truly lead a congregation in a meaningful worship experience that will draw out hearts to God. The songs were well chosen and flowed seamlessly together. The transitions were well orchestrated – literally – and the whole experience flooded my heart with forgotten memories of powerful scenes of worship that I had experienced with the worship team years ago. Back then God led me on a journey of growth and stretching that forced me to rethink the narrow box of worship – if it could even be termed that – that I had previously known.

Now as I tried to sing along with songs that I once had helped lead, long dormant emotions quickly welled up from my heart and begin to fill my eyes with water. I began to struggle to continue singing, as I desperately wanted to participate once again in this most refreshing opportunity to enjoy offering my emotional praises to my wonderful Father. But it was too much for me. I simply had to listen much of the time and sing along in my heart as my voice was incapacitated by my emotions. Once in a while I attempted again to sing a few notes but was quickly overcome again and lost my voice.

In a way it was a little disappointing but I decided to just enjoy it to the most that I could. I offered myself directly to God with all my feelings and emotions and limitations and once again enjoyed the intimacy of His presence. It was wonderful, refreshing and strengthening. I was able to sing with parts of some songs. In the middle they sang a hymn with just the organ and I emotions cooled enough to participate fully. Then another emotional praise chorus once again aroused my feelings.

At that point I noticed something. It was when I consciously sang the words directly to God and allowed their meaning to flow from my own heart in honesty that the intensity of my experience escalated to somewhat uncontrollable levels. I was not just singing along with a congregation or enjoying a well-executed group of musicians. That was all very helpful and reduced the amount of distraction from worship. But when I went beyond that and opened my heart to focus consciously toward God I would experience the reality created by the words and the music in a way that is unexplainable to anyone who has not experienced this. I believe maybe this is a little of what it means to offer a sacrifice of praise.

Another thought crossed my mind as maybe a mild warning. I have been very critical of the tendency of many people in many churches to worship their worship service more than God. I still believe that is a major problem and an obstacle to real worship of God. But I too could fall into that same trap along with many others if I allow the style of worship that lifts me high into the experience of His presence to become the focus of my attention more that the reality of who God is and what He is like. I believe that in fact, many today make praise and worship experiences the source of their emotional religion and fail to connect to and submit to the God that they believe and claim they are worshiping.

For too long conservative Christians have shied away from emotions particularly in worship because they are afraid of a shallow, emotional-based theology that will foster an atmosphere of deception. This is a very real issue and must be guarded against. But too often in their avoidance of this danger they have erred to the other extreme and fail to allow their hearts to burn with the passions and emotions that God created us for and wants to us to connect with Him. It is not a case of one or the other. We should not believe that we must choose between formal, heart-starved orthodoxy or mindless emotionalism and feeling-based theology. God is not honored by either of those. In fact, both extremes are actually very selfish and misguided.

Jesus expressed it best when He discussed worship with the outcast woman at Jacob's well. He revealed to her that both sides had missed God's heart. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)

There was one lingering disappointment this morning I could not avoid. While worshiping with my heart and soul and voice I wanted so badly to also be free to worship with my body as well. I want to stand up and lift my hands to my Creator and Redeemer and Friend in an offering of love and gratitude. I know, I should not be intimidated by what others think of me. But I'm not there yet. I am intimidated and I couldn't do it, not yet at least. But I sure wanted to. I long for the day when I can worship more fully with like-minded worshipers who offer up their hearts and their hands to God in joyful unity free of all fear and shame. Yes, I'm really anxious to see that day come soon. I had forgotten how good it is to sing and give praise to the Lord, for his mercy and loving-kindness endures forever.