Reclaiming Reverence in Worship
“Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water” (Revelation 14:7).
Too often we’ve been told that God doesn’t want respect in worship. We’ve been told to treat him more like a drinking buddy in our imaginations than to fear him. From a careless attitude toward worship come all kinds of strange practices that make our sanctuaries look more suited to rock concerts and circuses than to prayer.
Churches used to be quiet, sober refuges of preaching and devotion in past generations. Why was that so wrong? By trying to make church relevant and exciting to an unsatisfiable world, we’ve lost what the Christians used to call reverence. We’ve forgotten the fear of God because we no longer think that God is holy and set apart from a corrupt and dying world.
God saved us, not through making himself attractive according to the standards of the entertainment industry, but by suffering the penalty of our sins on the cross. Remember Jesus’ passion, trust in his sacrifice which reconciled you to God, and you’ll begin to understand the right attitude to adopt in worship. Being mindful of Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2) is how we can start to reclaim our heritage and recapture the authentic mystery of worshiping the Almighty God of heaven and earth.
How did Jesus’ worshipers approach him in the Gospel? Of course, there were plenty of curious onlookers and scornful enemies. But what about those who believed in Jesus? They fell at Jesus feet, bending their knees in supplication to their Lord (Matthew 2:11; 9:18; 15:25). Jesus never told them to stop. He didn’t tell them to get up and to think of him as their buddy instead. He received their prayers. He received their worship. He blessed their humble posture of reverence by answering their prayers and blessing them. This doesn’t change after the resurrection. He humbled Saul before he exulted him with faith. Indeed, the same man would later insist, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10).
It’s good to be humbled and subdued in worship. When we’ve been humbled by the knowledge of our unworthiness and God’s holiness, the Lord exults us with the joy of knowing that Jesus has saved us from death and the devil. There is exuberance in church. We would never deny it. But this joy is expressed in a way that shows the world what we think about God; that he is holy and that as long as struggle against sin on this earth, we should always adopt a posture of humility before him.
At Immanuel Lutheran Church and School you’ll find a gathering of gospel-hearers who are unashamed of showing reverence toward their merciful God. The way they pray, sing, and receive God’s gifts shows that their sanctuary is different from the world. It’s sacred. Because they are devoted to the “apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42) they are also certain of God’s kindness. They are forgiven. Therefore, they bow their heads, fold their hands, and bend their knees. As the Psalmist says, “With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:4).