Links for today’s readings:
Feb 12 Read: Proverbs 3 Listen: (3:05) Read: Psalm 33 Listen: (2:08)
Scripture Focus: Psalm 33.3
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
Reflection: Worship Greatly
By John Tillman
Do you have an inner “worship critic”? I do.
I have decades of experience and expertise in planning, producing, and performing in large worship gatherings in addition to being a musician, singer, theater performer, and director. Any public performance, whether in person or on television, activates my inner critic to analyze the event.
It’s one thing to critique the quality of a worship service. We should always care about doing things with excellence for God’s glory. We must “play skillfully.” However, my expertise and experience aren’t always objective. Neither are yours. There is often a grey area between quality and preference.
Federico Villanueva reminds us of a variety of worship styles, stances, and volumes in Psalms.
“It has been said that there are two kinds of worshipers: the “Joy to the World” type and the “Silent Night” type. The latter like solemnity and silence, with matching candles. The former like it noisy, with worship viewed as celebration. The beauty of the Psalms is that they show that there is a place for both types.” (Federico G. Villanueva, Asia Bible Commentary Series)
The orchestration notes for some psalms indicate masses of loud instruments like cymbals and trumpets. (Psalm 150.3-5) Some psalms specify tender-sounding tunes such as “Doe of the Morning.” (Psalm 22) No style is excluded from “sacred” music.
Psalm 33 turns the volume up to eleven. “Shout for joy” (v. 3) means a cheer of victorious celebration. We are not well acquainted with the victory shouts one might have heard from ancient armies, but we are acquainted with the shouts of sports stadiums when one’s team has won a championship. Like it or not, worship can be like that. Worship can also be totally silent.
The vital quality of worship is not volume. Worship is not about a great production which meets our preferences or standards, but a great God. To worship properly, quiet your inner critic and distinguish between critiques of preference and quality. If a singer is pitchy or an instrument too loud or a sermon too long, but God is glorified, we should be able to say “amen.”
If the readings, prayers, music, and sermons point to God’s greatness and the gospel, I can deal with a less than perfect service. However, high production values can’t save services that mute or miss the gospel.
Don’t mistake your preferences for quality. “Shout to the Lord” and “be still and know he is God.” (Psalm 46.10) Worship God greatly, always
Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Come, let us sing to the Lord; … For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. — Psalm 95.1, 3
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more: Wearisome Worship
When we misrepresent God outside his house, our worship within his house is wearisome rather than welcomed.
Read more: We Need Renewal — Worldwide Prayer
Please forgive our failures in thought, speech, and action, those we omit as well as those we commit.