You will no doubt agree with us that worship is more than just singing, that ‘worship can be our whole lives’. This phrase is so commonly said in discussions about worship that it has almost become a cliché. We know the relevant Bible passages – that Paul tells the Romans to ‘…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship’ (Romans 12:1). Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of the same passage is even more punchy: ‘Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering’ (The Message).
And yet, it is easy to become inward-looking when planning services, choosing songs and writing sermons. We have so many lovely songs about how great it feels to be in God’s presence and so many stunning pictures of sunsets and mountains to remind us of all that is beautiful. To be frank, interrupting these ethereal moments with prayers for local elections or confessions about environmental damage can feel uncomfortable and jarring.
As people who lead sung worship, these issues and contradictions have invaded our minds through the years. Catching the eye of the friend who struggles with depression will make you question how helpful the ‘I’m-so-happy-all-the-time’ songs are. Church services going on as if nothing had happened the day after a major natural disaster will make you understand what that teenager meant when she called church ‘irrelevant’. Realising that you have no idea what most people in church do for a living will make you wonder how valued these people really feel, and what they must understand about calling and vocation.
