Comments on: The Role of Worship http://micah.cowan.name/2010/03/04/religion/the-role-of-worship/ The random ramblings of Micah Cowan. Programmer, musician, typesetting enthusiast, gamer… Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:15:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Chris http://micah.cowan.name/2010/03/04/religion/the-role-of-worship/#comment-152098 Chris Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:03:04 +0000 http://micah.cowan.name/?p=190#comment-152098 I can't really find anything I disagree with in what you said about worship. I think there's a HUGE misconception of what worship is really about. These days, I get pretty sick of when worship is used as a means of manipulating emotions. First off, I think the term "praise music" is more accurate than "worship," but I'm not a nazi about those sorts of semantics. Whatever you want to call it, the purpose is frequently lost in today's churches. We expect worship to be the time where we "feel the spirit" or get something from God... The truth, however is that the purpose of praise music is to, well... praise. It's not about getting some sort of experience out of it. Sincere praise doesn't expect anything in return. When I praise God, I don't think the improvisations necessarily are or need to be interpreted as spirit-lead. God created me and my individuality, and my gifts and my weaknesses to be used for HIS glory, so for me to say "Okay, God, I'm going to worship you, but only if it means you'll give me some sort of spiritual/emotional high that makes me feel good!" is completely missing the purpose of praising Him! True worship of God is done more through a lifestyle of serving Him, rather than the words we sing or feelings we get. I can’t really find anything I disagree with in what you said about worship. I think there’s a HUGE misconception of what worship is really about. These days, I get pretty sick of when worship is used as a means of manipulating emotions.
First off, I think the term “praise music” is more accurate than “worship,” but I’m not a nazi about those sorts of semantics. Whatever you want to call it, the purpose is frequently lost in today’s churches. We expect worship to be the time where we “feel the spirit” or get something from God…
The truth, however is that the purpose of praise music is to, well… praise. It’s not about getting some sort of experience out of it. Sincere praise doesn’t expect anything in return. When I praise God, I don’t think the improvisations necessarily are or need to be interpreted as spirit-lead. God created me and my individuality, and my gifts and my weaknesses to be used for HIS glory, so for me to say “Okay, God, I’m going to worship you, but only if it means you’ll give me some sort of spiritual/emotional high that makes me feel good!” is completely missing the purpose of praising Him!
True worship of God is done more through a lifestyle of serving Him, rather than the words we sing or feelings we get.

]]> By: Deb http://micah.cowan.name/2010/03/04/religion/the-role-of-worship/#comment-139270 Deb Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:43:01 +0000 http://micah.cowan.name/?p=190#comment-139270 Micah I would have to agree that anything that smacks of "machination" is not of God. At the same time, there is a degree of professional responsibility to do the best "job" possible in singing, playing and leading the worship service. I have struggled (as you did) with feeling like I was part of some manipulation. In the end, I had to consider how little time I spent in my own devotions with God, which was what was meant to feed my heart... not getting approval for "a great worship set." The longer I am in ministry, the more I am convinced it is likely more in spite of us than because of us that God does anything in this world... peace- Deb Micah
I would have to agree that anything that smacks of “machination” is not of God. At the same time, there is a degree of professional responsibility to do the best “job” possible in singing, playing and leading the worship service. I have struggled (as you did) with feeling like I was part of some manipulation. In the end, I had to consider how little time I spent in my own devotions with God, which was what was meant to feed my heart… not getting approval for “a great worship set.”

The longer I am in ministry, the more I am convinced it is likely more in spite of us than because of us that God does anything in this world…

peace-
Deb

]]> By: pstrmike http://micah.cowan.name/2010/03/04/religion/the-role-of-worship/#comment-137767 pstrmike Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:44:38 +0000 http://micah.cowan.name/?p=190#comment-137767 Or perhaps, you were being led and moved by the Spirit of God........ hmmm........... Or perhaps, you were being led and moved by the Spirit of God…….. hmmm………..

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