Back to Basics: Worship
Pat Farish
To “worship” is, to “kiss toward” (from proskuneo).
Other words are translated “worship” and other, more
technical, definitions can be advanced, but this one
gets the issue before us adequately. Our purpose in
this article is not to lead in an academic study of
worship, but to examine what individuals are supposed
to be doing when, collectively, we “worship” God.
As we worship God, then, by definition we are
“kissing toward” Him. The expression calls to mind my
granddaughters’ “blowing a kiss” to me. It suggests
affection and adoration. It is a way of saying to the
Father, I adore you.
So, whatever our activity, whether singing, giving,
praying, reading Scripture or communing, as we participate
in that activity if our heart is in it, we are
expressing adoration to God.
Acceptable worship is not an “ad lib” activity. It is
not a matter of our offering to God whatever seems
good to us – and Him having to appreciate our thoughtfulness.
King Saul comes to mind, as an example of
one who seemed to think that way. He was instructed
(I Samuel 15) by Jehovah through Samuel to exterminate
Amalek: all the people, and all the flocks. He killed
all the people – except the king. He killed all the
livestock – except the good stuff. When called to give
account for his behavior, he said the animals were
spared for worship (verse 21). In response to this,
“Samuel said, Has the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the
Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin
of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king” (verses 22,
23). God has never left worship to be designed by man.
God has never allowed worship to substitute for obedience.
We acceptably communicate adoration of God
only with heart (spirit) and mind (truth) attuned to the
sovereignty of our God. This is but another way of
saying we walk by faith (II Corinthians 5:17), which faith
comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).
When we worship, then, it involves us in activity prescribed
in the word of God; not activity that just seems
to us to be good.
Acceptable worship is not a matter of tradition.
What we are to do, and what we are to abstain from
doing, are revealed in the Word of God. Thus the
things in our worship which may be thought “peculiar”
are actually peculiar only to the eyes of human wisdom.
If our worship in song is a capella; if we commune
every first day of the week; if in our public assembly it
is the “men who pray” (I Timothy 2:8); if our funds are
raised by free-will offerings of members; if our sole and
sufficient guide for instruction is the Bible – in all these
things we say “Father, we adore you” in the manner He
has prescribed.
Acceptable worship does not cater to fads. In
many places today bright and talented people are
imposing their bright talent on the worship assemblies
of the saints, and what occurs then may be called
exciting, startling, breathtaking, stunning, astonishing,
marvelous, amazing – surely there are other words of
the same genre to be supplied to describe the avantgarde
nature of this “worship” – but “truth” and “faith”
are not among them.
Worship to God must be expressed in harmony
with His will. Jesus quoted Isaiah, who wrote “In vain do
they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments
of men” (Matthew 15:9). Our hearts must be
involved in sincere expression of adoration to the
Father; but our minds also must be there, in genuine
submission to His will. “God is spirit, and those who
worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John
4:24).