Exploring Worship: Part One

A few weeks ago one of my good friends at church handed me a book entittled Exploring Worship by Bob Sorge and asked me to read through it. There's a part in chapter one that tells us how we should praise the Lord. It lists and discusses 8 different reasons:

1.) Lifting our hands (Nehemiah 8:6; Psalms 28:2; I Timothy 2:8)

a. When we reach our hands up to the Lord, we are saying, "Pick me up, Daddy God! Hold me close to Your heart! I want to be near you!"

b. We are able to concentrate on our task of praying, and not on other irrelevancies

c. We indicate to the Lord that we want to open up our hearts to His Holy Spirit

d. We symbolically recieve everything God is doing in our lives

e. When our arms are lifted high we are in an unprotected and vulnerable position

2.) Clapping our hands (Psalms 47:1)

a. It is important that we link clapping hands with a heart that ascends to the Lord, because clapping with and empty heart is really very empty

b. It is still appropriate for us today to raise clamorous acclamations of praise to God

c. We do want to be careful, however, that our praise constitutes more than just noise but also reaches the depth of the heart response to God

3.) Playing musical instruments (Psalms 150:3-5)

a. Those of us who use musical instruments in praise must be careful not to become too independent upon them so that when the music stops, the praise and worship immediately ceases

b. God has ordained that musical instruments to be used to help facilitate our praises

4.) Standing, kneeling, bowing (2 Chron. 5:12; Psa. 135:2; Psa. 95:6; Rev. 19: 4)

a. Standing speaks of respect

b. Standing indicates alertness

c. Many of our songs will make references to our bowing before the Lord in worship, and yet it is such a rarity to see a church actually practicing this

5.) Singing (most of Psalms)

a. Chanting the words "Alleluia...alleluia...alleluia" wouldn't do much for many of us. But coupling those words with a melody and picture what happens

6.) Audibly expressed (Psalms 26:7)

a. Praise is not praise until it is vocalized; heard; made audible

b. Our thoughts of God must be made audible before they qualify as praise

7.) Shouting (Psalms 47:1; 66:1; 81:1)

a. The Hebrew word hillel, from which we get the universal word "hallelujah." means "to cry aloud or break out into a cry, and especially a cry of joy."

b. We do not break through in the Spirit until we are led of the Lord to shout aloud in His presence with a voice of triumph

8.) Speaking in tougues (Psalms 103:1)

a. This experience is to be coveted for all those who have not yet had the release of speaking in tongues

b. This is the pennacle of praise; to love and praise Him with everything that is inside of us

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