The Heart of Worship

What does is mean to have a passion for something? Sometimes I find myself saying that I have a passion for Mississippi State sports...sometimes. I might say that I have a passion for food. The point is that everybody would say that they have a passion. All people have different passions, but we all seem to define the word as "a consuming interest."

I wonder if this is really how the word should be defined. I found myself really looking at this word in terms of its origin and how it is used. Passion is derived form the Greek word that means "to suffer." When we watch the movie, The Passion, we are really watching "the suffering." I guess if you go back to the actual meaning of passion, it means to feel so strongly about something that you would suffer for it.

When I think about the statement, "I have a strong passion for worship," I wonder what I am really saying. I know what I have meant. I have meant to say, “I enjoy bright, vibrant singing." Is this the same as having a passion for worship? The word worship is derived from worth-ship. I like something. I give it high value. The phrase "worshipping God" implies that you give God high value.

To say that I have a passion for worship is to say, "I really value worshipping and would die for my style." To say that I have a passion for worshipping God is to say, "I really value God and would give my life for him." I think that I have been struggling with this thought because f I have been in the business of passionately valuing worship, not God.

Recently, I heard someone point to Revelation 3 as a statement about worship. Jesus condemns the church at Laodicea for being lukewarm. Actually as I understand it, he condemns them for being "normal." They are so normal, they disgust him. He says, "You make me want to throw up!" How powerful is this statement? Jesus wants to throw up because his followers are no different than the world around them. Wow! My life is really normal. Do I stand out from the world around me? I mean... Am I willing to suffer for Jesus? I am willing to take the place of a servant?

Jesus seems to be calling the church to true worship. He is saying, "If you are truly passionate about worshipping me, give me your life." I am guilty of this sin. I have stated that I want to be true worshipper and yet where is the daily heart worship? Where is the strong desire for prayer and bible study? How many hungry people have I fed? I am not talking about works. I am talking about gratitude. "God you saved me, I want to grow closer to you."

I am not putting myself down, I am finally being honest. It is lie to say that I am passionate about worshipping God, when I am really passionate about worshipping. Over and over I hear people say, "I love the new stuff" or “I love the old stuff." This "stuff" is not important. That is all just periphery. These are all just techniques. What matters most to God is the heart.

If we as the church can start daily worshipping, we will not argue about technique. I have made a commitment to daily find ways of worshipping God. I don't want to be guilty of worshipping worship. I want to worship God.