Worship vs. Worship experience

I love worship.

Both individual and corporate.

A solid chunk of time spent with a community of believers expressing adoration, thanksgiving, humility, and honor to God is a really powerful time. Most Christians can probably recall a specific situation or type of environment of worship in which they were "most able to connect with God." Remembering that worship is not about us at all and that it is all about God is very important. Still, certain people are best able to express their heart to God in particular ways. Whether it be through song, through dance, through painting, etc...

Granted, we are not called to specific styles or times of worship. Rather, we are called to a lifestyle of worship. However, the reality is that most of us, while able to engage in adoration of God regardless of "style," have specific tendencies and preferences of ways we worship. (While realizing the ongoing conversation/discussion over "styles of worship" and the ridiculous problems that it can create, this post is not about that at all.)

A wonderful friend of mine is a great worship leader. I could listen to him worship the Lord for hours and it would be so natural for me to join into worship with him. Regardless of which instrument he is playing, I just love his heart and desire to worship. Over the past few years, we have both been placed in new situations in which there has been a decrease of or lack of corporate worship from what we have previously known.

I recently was talking with my friend about this. His words were simple, "I really miss corporate worship." Now, he is more than able to sit down with his guitar or the piano and connect with the Lord at any given moment. He is also able to worship with friends, although their worship is in another language. And his sentiment is, "I miss the experience of a community of Christ-lovers, speaking my own language, with whom I can join in a time of adoration of our God." I can relate to that sentiment on many levels, as I'm sure you can also.

A few days after having this conversation, I was listening to a CD with some worship songs my friend had recorded a few years ago. Some of the songs were ones he had written himself. As I listened to him sing his heart to the Lord, I began to realize something. At the moment when he was recording those songs, he was fully engaged in worship. As I listened to the CD, my heart began to engage in worship. Yet, both of those moments were not worship. They were worship experiences. Worship is a present oriented reality. Both of those times spent were now only an experience of worship. This explains how my friend can be so gifted to lead worship, record worship songs, and even spend personal time in worship himself, and yet still have feelings of, "I miss worship." This explains how at the same time I can listen to my a recording of my friend worshipping and simultaneously have a conversation with him in which he "misses" worship.

Worship is about now. It is about connecting with God. And regardless of style or past experiences of worship, we were created for a lifestyle of worship right now. Worship experiences are great. Lives can be transformed. Hearts can be renewed. Souls can be refreshed. Callings can be discerned. And yet, if we are not currently worshipping, we find ourselves lacking. We find ourselves wanting more times of worship.

I pray that you are surrounded by a community of believers whom you can join in adoration to God. I pray that as you worship the Lord, that the Holy Spirit would inhabit your praises. I pray that in the areas in which you "miss worship," that the Lord would provide you new outlets to worship Him. May you constantly create worship experiences as you live a life of worship before your Father in Heaven. And may you never be satisfied with the experiences of worship from your past.