User-Friendly...or...?

The meaning of commonly used words can sometimes become diluted when we sling them around casually in conversation.  Think about the word “praise.”  We praise the dog for fetching the bone, praise the hairdresser for giving us a great-looking “do,” or praise ourselves for sticking with some boring, tiresome conversation when we’d rather bow out and get on with something else that m-a-t-t-e-r-s.  The inference is OH YAY, someone did a good thing worthy of recognition.  Maybe a noble thing.  Maybe a sacrificial (or, on the other hand, self-exalting?) thing.  Not a bad way to use the word, but it makes us lazy.  We stop thinking about the deeper implications of praise.

The word “worship” seems quite a bit spookier.  While we’re quick to talk about praise, we don’t freely verbalize thoughts about worship. The word is hush-hush. Shhhhh.  Don’t say it too loud.  It’s a strong word.   A this-really-makes-a-difference word.  However, it’s also a word stuck on the shelf of our respective internal libraries without much use.  A word that makes us think about our own humility, something American’s tend to avoid like the plagues of Egypt.

It seems we who practice what we call “contemporary worship” sometimes get praise and worship a little mixed up, at least in the context of Sunday morning.  We make them one-and-the-same when they’re not.  We even print them in the same line in the church bulletin as the “praise team” leads “worship.” In my opinion, we may inadvertently promote something relatable and meaningful, but side-step true heart-level worship of our incredibly high God.

In recent years I’ve been inspired by worship practiced by some of the more traditional Christian churches, even though there seems a danger that the liturgy and repetition can become rote and therefore meaningless.  I was one who pooh-poohed similar worship styles years ago.  However, now in such "high" settings I sense my own neediness in the presence of God’s greatness – a good (perhaps imperative) thing. I realize how desperate for His mercy I really am, and that He isn’t supposed to be primarily user-friendly, but rather awesome: powerful, mighty, great, HOLY. 

Even with that said I am comfortable with typical contemporary formats.  Maybe that says it all.  Maybe comfort is the problem.  Ah, yes….it’s the American way.

Here’s an article I enjoyed reading that speaks to the topic of praise and worship:

http://www.truthinhistory.org/praise-and-worship-are-they-the-same.html