Worth Repeating - August 2, 2017

Psalm 33: 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. (NIV)

No matter how well orchestrated, worship isn’t intended to entertain but to feed and strengthen the soul.*

This must be the theme verse for the worship leader at my church. We sing a new song almost every Sunday; the praise team is carefully selected; and the congregation is led to experience joyful worship. Not every congregation has the luxury of professional-quality singers and musicians, but the worship service should still be well-done. Perfection is impossible to attain but we should never stop trying to achieve excellence.

In the next verse we learn why we should sing, play and shout: “For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” (Psalm 33: 4) We are to be joyful because of the Lord’s righteousness and faithfulness, not because a praise song makes us feel uplifted. A worship service that leads us to contemplate and appreciate God’s attributes may prompt strong emotions, but we should never lose sight of the fact that it is God we worship, not the worshipful feeling.

Real praise is established upon sufficient and constraining reasons; it is not irrational emotion, but rises, like a pure spring, from the deeps of experience.*